Slam Dunk: Conquer the Nation
by KnoT
Summary: Shohoku High's basketball team suffered a huge loss in the retirement of Akagi. Can the team rebuild and conquer the nation again?
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Author's Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on Fanfiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**_Slam Dunk: Conquer the Nation_**

* * *

**Prologue – A Breeze through Shohoku**

The wind was blowing.

As students gathered to attend their respective after-school clubs, Shohoku High became a whirlwind of activity. Amidst the noise, a relatively short senior casually walked toward the gym, his sports duffel bag's strap laced around his forehead and earring twinkling under the sun.

It was another day of practice. But Shohoku High basketball captain Miyagi Ryota found himself unable to shake his uneasiness.

Being the team captain hadn't been easy. The retirement of both Kogure and Akagi had been severe blows to the team and Shohoku had found itself with a major problem—the lack of an experienced roleplayer and a true, dominating center. Last year's starting lineup had been reduced to three, with Rukawa Kaede, Mitsui Hisashi, and Miyagi having to carry the team. The new players were unimpressive in the winter season and Shohoku had not performed up to expectations in their quest for the Winter Cup, for a number of reasons.

In the face of this adversity and what many considered underachievement after Shohoku's miraculous run in the Nationals last year, Miyagi initially had little hopes for the summer season as well.

But things were looking up. After all, Miyagi had recently added what could be a possible bright spot in the roster…

_That freshman will definitely be a big help, _thought Miyagi as the wind, strangely heavy today, ruffled his hair in a rush and kicked up a gust of leaves behind him. _With him now on the team, then maybe…_

And it definitely wasn't a moment too soon. It was now mid-season of the Inter-Highs and Shohoku was once again fighting to secure a spot as a representative of Kanagawa to attend the Nationals.

_Just like last year,_ Miyagi smiled to himself, unable to forget all the troubles the team had gone through, but also all they had achieved.

This year was not quite the same. The beginnings of the Inter-Highs had been far more difficult, for one. Anzai-sensei, realizing the team was not what it once was after the Winter Cup, had almost done a complete turnaround with the team's strategy—the team began to run and gun like Toyotama in last year's IH tournament. This was out of necessity; without a post presence, a strong player to rule the world under the basket, this was the best option available. Although the team's scoring output had increased dramatically, the poor defense had led to close games against teams that were outright better than Shohoku or when Shohoku's shots wouldn't fall. The team had managed to survive to the Round of Four to fight for one of two available spots to the Nationals… but just barely, in large part due to the ace of the team: Rukawa Kaede.

Rukawa, fresh off his All-Japan training, had become a nearly unstoppable offensive force. For a while, the other players had thought that it would have been enough. But a single player, no matter how good, couldn't carry a team deep into tournaments: the size advantage of other teams had often created matchup problems for Shohoku that were unsolvable. Miyagi, as well as the other former stars, had realized that Anzai's strategy could only work short-term and even if they made the Nationals, they would not survive long enough to conquer the nation. In fact, Miyagi had believed their success was often due to luck and Rukawa's dominating basketball skills. While Anzai realized this as well, the renowned coach but could do nothing else to make the team better—the lack of players to work with was a major impediment. If not for Mitsui almost purposefully getting himself held back a year…

"Yo."

A voice interrupted Miyagi's thoughts. With a glance over his shoulder, the captain saw a familiar tall figure with a small scar on his chin and unkempt hair.

What a coincidence.

"Yo, Mitsui."

Mitsui Hisashi easily fell into step with Miyagi, the two silent after the greetings. Although they still were not exactly friends off the court, Mitsui and Miyagi—now vice-captain and captain respectively—were brothers on it. But while many, even the two in question, had believed they would be a great duo to lead the team, the currently mediocre results for Shohoku spoke for itself.

"Miyagi."

"Yeah?" Miyagi tilted his head slightly in Mitsui's direction, showing that he was listening.

"I decided that… well, my parents…" Mitsui paused, somewhat uncomfortable talking so personally and without pretense. After he gathered his thoughts, he managed to continue his announcement haltingly.

"I mean… I haven't been scouted out by a university yet. Honestly, these days I don't know if I will be. But I can't stay like this forever. So no matter what, I'm going to finish it this year. I might even have to... I might have to sit down and study for the entrance exam."

"Ah." Miyagi wasn't surprised—it was Mitsui's time, just as it was his own. He would've been more surprised if Mitsui had tried to get himself held back another year. "Did you tell Anzai-sensei?"

"Yeah." Mitsui scratched the back of his head a bit nervously. "He said it was a wise decision but didn't say much more. Said I have to build a real future—it was something like what my parents have been going on about. But whether or not basketball will have a role in it… I can't stay here forever." Mitsui ended with a repeat of what he initially said, obviously struggling. The thought of basketball not being in his life was not one he could even put into words.

"So, why are you telling me?"

Mitsui managed a solemn smile.

"Just figured you should know, Captain," Mitsui added, with the same bite of sarcasm Miyagi had grown to accept. "We're in the situation Kogure and Akagi were in last year. So, we either keep winning, or-" Mitsui cleared his throat. "Or our high school basketball days will end prematurely."

The two slipped into silence again, the reality of those words weighing heavily on their minds. As soon as they reached the gym doors, Miyagi spoke up.

"We won't lose."

This time, he stopped in place completely. Turned so he could directly face Mitsui.

"After all, I don't want an early retirement either."

Mitsui was caught off-guard at Miyagi's candid, confident response, but he recovered quickly and flashed the point guard a genuine grin. "Yeah, I don't think either of us does."

Miyagi nodded, feeling the two had said all that was needed to be said. He pushed open the gym doors. The patter of a basketball meeting hardwood greeted them, which was a surprise—Miyagi was usually the first to practice.

"Rukawa? That you?" Miyagi called, stepping into the familiar Shohoku gym.

A flash of fiery red caught the afternoon sun, and it was all that Miyagi and Mitsui needed to see to find themselves at a loss for words.

Sakuragi Hanamichi duly faced the two, a scowl on his face.

"How could you not recognize this Tensai?"

The gym doors blew shut behind the three, the edge of a breeze still managing to whip past them. But it all seemed different, now.

It seemed to be blowing hope back into Shohoku.

* * *

**"I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying."**

**-Michael Jordan**

* * *

Author's Note:

Hello, reader.

If you're a first-time reader of this fic. and have made the decision to read onwards, I would like to extend a disclaimer. As you can tell this fic. is very long and has spanned across many years of my writing life. The early chapters, up to around the 40s, will have uneven writing, plot holes, and some heavy borrowing of Inoue's ideas. I was a young writer then, still struggling to figure out what I wanted from the story, and I've had a lot of time since then to make the work completely my own and to make it more readable. Nevertheless those chapters are still there, and though I am working to revise these early chapters to some degree and I've gotten up to Chapter 10, the revising will take quite some time and I'm not sure if I'll ever get through all of it. So everything up to Chapter 10 will have the sort of quality you can expect from the far later chapters, but everything afterwards and before the mid-40s will have chapters of varying quality, some mediocre and the rest bad. I don't want to discourage you from reading this fic., as it's a great joy of mine to write and an even greater joy to have read, but I would like to give you that warning if you decide to devote your time to reading more of this story.

And if you do, in fact, want to keep reading… thank you, and let's see how far Shohoku can get this summer.


	2. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday. _

**Chapter 1- Return of the Tensai**

Miyagi and Mitsui stood thunderstruck at the entrance of the gym, stunned by the sudden appearance of their old teammate. An awkward silence settled between the three, no words capable of filling the time that had been lost or the sheer shock that had frozen the two seniors.

Sakuragi's scowl deepened, displeased at the lack of response. "Hey, you guys didn't really forget this Tensai, did you?"

Mitsui managed to recover first. "N-No…"

A bright smile lit the redhead's face. "Micchi! Been keeping that stamina up?"

Whatever remained of Mitsui's shock quickly turned to annoyance, now that he was provoked. "What are you talking about? Of course! And what about you, huh?"

Miyagi finally managed to gather his wits, interjecting before the two could argue any further. "You're… you're better now?"

Sakuragi turned his attention to Miyagi, expression again serious. "I was released from the doctor's yesterday. But apparently all you commoners had already left. Slacking on practice without this Tensai around, eh?"

"And your back?"

Sakuragi thudded the former injury with the back of his fist. "No problems so far. The treatments have been holding up. Doc said I just need to ease back into things and it shouldn't ever cause me trouble again, at least in a game."

"Can you…" Miyagi swallowed, barely able to push out the next words. "Can you play basketball again?"

The solemn look on Sakuragi's face melted, replaced by one of pure, almost child-like joy.

"Yeah!"

_Amazing…_ Miyagi thought, new excitement spreading through his body. Finally, the prayers of Shohoku had been answered in the form of this rambunctious redhead. The rebounding monster, self-proclaimed genius, but more importantly, perhaps the only true successor to Akagi…

"Have you grown taller, Sakuragi?" Miyagi asked abruptly, the fact suddenly dawning upon him. He hadn't immediately noticed since he had grown slightly himself, but now that he had a better look at Sakuragi their previous height disparity seemed more extreme than before.

Sakuragi's face once again gave away his emotions. "Haha! Of course! Before I left, they measured my height and weighed this Tensai. Now I'm 192 cm."

Miyagi shook his head in disbelief. It was almost too good to be true—just moments ago, Miyagi was worrying over the fact that Shohoku had no size advantage and just like that, it was remedied. Life had a quirky sense of humor.

"Have you seen Anzai-sensei yet?" Mitsui asked, a smile now on his face as well. Apparently Miyagi wasn't the only one that had realized the repercussions of Sakuragi's return to the team.

"I haven't seen the old man yet," Sakuragi replied before flexing. "But how could he turn down this Tensai?"

The three laughed amongst each other and despite the fact that none of the three would ever admit it, they were pleased just seeing each other well. The Shohoku team had always shared something; while time had stopped for Shohoku after the collapse against Aiwa and the departure of Akagi, it did not have any effect on the bonds they once shared.

Their laughter was interrupted by the gym doors squeaking open. A tall, well-built young man strode into the gym, one bud of his in-ear headphones dangling in front of his chest and blaring heavy music. At the sight of Sakuragi, however, he paused from his bee-line to the lockers.

"It's you."

Rukawa Kaede's voice was quiet and even-keeled. The sight of his former rival barely seemed to register as a blip on his surprise radar.

Sakuragi glanced over Miyagi's shoulder, locking eyes with his greatest adversary.

"Yo, smelly fox."

_That's one thing that hasn't changed,_ Mitsui thought, knowing the two were destined to always be at each other's throats. Maybe Sakuragi had matured a bit—it certainly wouldn't have been a surprise, after that injury. But at least when it came to Rukawa, this was exactly the type of reunion that Mitsui had expected as soon as he saw the redhead in the gym.

Rukawa simply ignored the insult and brushed past the three, continuing towards his original destination. It was as if Sakuragi's reappearance meant absolutely nothing. However before he could get out of earshot, Sakuragi abruptly spoke up.

"I'm back. To play basketball."

Rukawa again stopped, this time not bothering to turn around. There was a brief, uncomfortable silence before he adjusted the bag on his shoulders and looked up towards the rafters of the gym.

"Are you going to be better than last year?"

"What? I'm the devil of improvement! I haven't even scraped the true potential of my skill! Unlike you, fox!" Sakuragi laughed in self-bravado. Rukawa gave a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, as if expecting that answer, and continued off to change into his practice clothes. As soon as Rukawa had disappeared from sight, Sakuragi shot Mitsui a knowing glance.

"That Rukawa knows his ace title is now in danger."

"Right, Sakuragi," Mitsui replied dryly.

Before Sakuragi could continue his unsubstantiated gloating, Miyagi tapped the taller player on the shoulder to catch his attention.

"Coach is here." Miyagi pointed towards the double-doors where a plump, bespectacled, white-haired man had appeared and was slowly shuffling towards the group.

Sakuragi whirled around so he could get a good look at Anzai, a huge smile now on his face.

"Old man!"

"Oh…!" Anzai's tone matched the same astonishment that his eyes were now showing. Sakuragi took a few long strides forward, meeting the stout coach halfway.

"Sakuragi-kun," Anzai smiled warmly in greeting, his friendly, Zen-like aura a soothing presence for all those near the genius high school coach.

In contrast, Sakuragi greeted the coach by pulling on Anzai's gut and slapping his double chin before anyone could stop him.

"How about letting this Tensai rejoin the team? Hm?"

"Hey, hey stop it!" Mitsui shouted in alarm, racing over to peel the boisterous Sakuragi off. After separating the two and stopping Sakuragi's customary assault on the chubby coach, Mitsui bowed to Anzai in apology.

"Sorry, sensei. This guy is still a complete moron."

"Ho ho ho," Anzai guffawed, not minding the strange manner in which Sakuragi showed affection. "Not a worry. And of course, Sakuragi-kun– you are always welcome back. The team has been waiting eagerly for your return."

"All right!" Sakuragi pumped his fist in the air, triumph written on his face. "The victorious one has returned!"

"However…"

Sakuragi's ears perked, the mirth gone from his eyes as quickly as it had surfaced upon recognizing the serious tone Anzai was now carrying.

"It has been a long time since you last played any sports, I suspect," Anzai stated matter-of-factly. "I had told you before that you have to practice three times of what Rukawa-kun normally does to catch up to him... do you remember?"

Anzai adjusted his glasses before he continued, still a bit disheveled from Sakuragi's earlier roughhousing.

"With all the time away, you will have a lot of work ahead in order to catch up. You may have forgotten some basketball techniques. If you have not forgotten them, at the very least they will not be as effective as you remember them to be. Now is the time for you to review and eventually improve on these skills. Playoff qualification games will begin three days from today. I hope to put you back in the lineup by then, if you can again become the Sakuragi-kun we saw against Sannoh."

Sakuragi's eyes burned with the same competitive fire he always had when faced with a daunting task. "Don't worry old man, I'll handle it! I'll be back to Tensai game-shape before you know it!"

"Also…" Anzai looked directly into Sakuragi's eyes, confirming what he already knew but asking anyway:

"Do you still love basketball?"

Sakuragi did not even hesitate at answering the straightforward question. A genuine smile spread across his face: innocent, carefree, and painfully honest.

"Yes, old man. I still love it. Very much."


	3. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday. _

**Chapter 2- Renegades**

Sakuragi wasted no time in making himself comfortable in practice that day.

After seeing many familiar faces and being given a hero's welcome by the Shohoku benchwarmers, Sakuragi quickly assumed the role of a drill sergeant and relentlessly ordered wind sprints and other assorted runs in addition to the normal training regime Miyagi had put into place. Since Miyagi did not reprimand Sakuragi for demanding extra training, everyone had been forced to follow his commands: by the end of the warmup, most of the players were completely winded before the team could even pick up a ball.

"That's it, I need a break," gasped Yasuda Yasuharu, one of the other seniors on the team. The former backup guard remained a source of respect by his Shohoku teammates: in addition to his seniority, his bold personality and his great performance in the Toyotama game in the Nationals had not been forgotten. Despite not being very outspoken, the senior had replaced Kogure's former role as the key locker-room presence of the team, serving to direct and calm the benchwarmers when Miyagi and Mitsui were busy with other duties. Though constant training with Miyagi and increased playing time had improved his game, it was nowhere near enough to make him a legitimate threat to the stronger basketball teams.

Kakuta Satoru nodded in agreement, his head dripping with sweat. The former backup center had been forced into a starting role to fill the void that Sakuragi and Akagi left. Steadily earning the reputation of a decent low-post player, Kakuta's ability to maneuver around the basket had taken great strides forward. However, his small stature compared to bigger and stronger centers made him a rather inefficient "big" man that could only play small stretches in the game before forcing the taller Rukawa to help him on the defensive end. His strength and stamina had improved since the Sannoh game when he filled in for Sakuragi, but like Yasuda, his presence alone wasn't sufficient for a team aiming to make the Nationals.

Sakuragi grinned in reply, clearly not heeding their protests. "If Gori was here, he'd make us run even more!"

Everyone groaned in exasperation. "You're not Gori, so just stop it!"

"Yeah. I'm in charge, remember?" Miyagi said half-heartedly, appearing distracted. The source of his anxiety was clear: Ayako, the team manageress, hadn't yet shown up to the practice.

Miyagi's crush on Ayako had remained strong and now entering his final year, his unrequited feelings had only intensified. Despite this, Miyagi found himself unable to approach her romantically again, for fear of another rejection—this time likely final.

_It's my last year to do it,_ Miyagi thought nervously. This was not the first time he had tried to convince himself to confess again, but it seemed every other practice he tried to draw up enough courage to actually follow through. _I have to—_

As if on cue Ayako burst into the gym, carrying a large collection of bags. Just her presence instantly changed the atmosphere of the room: her strong-will and energy emanated from her like an aura. Ayako's brown locks danced in front of her pretty face as she heaved a sigh of exhaustion.

"Sorry everyone!" she called, cheerful as ever. She adjusted the bags she was carrying, puffing out a breath of air to push the loose curls from her gaze. "I met a few of my friends along the way, and—"

She stopped mid-sentence upon the sight of Sakuragi. Sakuragi only grinned back in reply, clearly enjoying being the center of attention. In her shock she dropped her bags with a thud on the wooden floors of the gym.

"Yo."

"Sakuragi! Is it really you?" Ayako tentatively confirmed, though she didn't really need to. She quickly strode up to the familiar redhead, an excited smile on her face.

"Have you seen any other Tensais like me?" Sakuragi puffed out his chest in response.

Ayako was held an arm up, trying to estimate Sakuragi's height. "You're a lot taller now! This is great!"

"Isn't it?" Sakuragi joined in Ayako's laughter, the two happy to see one another after their time apart.

"Yeah. He's back," Miyagi commented dryly, stepping in to interrupt the two. Now that Ayako was here, he was able to fall back into business. "Do you think you could review the basics with him?"

"Ryota! Did you just find out?" Ayako whirled around and grabbed Miyagi's arm, drawing a furious blush on the captain's face.

"Uh. Uh. Yeah," Miyagi babbled, losing all coherent thought.

"No more basics," Sakuragi grumbled. Ayako dropped her hand away with a frown, Sakuragi's comment inadvertently rescuing Miyagi.

"Of course we need to review the fundamentals. Especially if you're rejoining the team."

"Hn. You know, the team does seems smaller."

"No," Miyagi spoke up again, recovering now that Ayako no longer had physical contact with him. "It's about the same size. Shiozaki left the team after the Winter Cup, but we got two new rookies. One of them hasn't really shown up, but the other is pretty good. Although he's late too."

"Sakuragi needs to review fundamentals," Ayako insisted again.

"Absolutely," Miyagi agreed, narrowing his eyes at the redhead. "And don't think I won't kick your butt if you don't listen."

"Oh? Since when'd you get so cocky, Ryo-chin?" Sakuragi reared to his full height, detecting the challenge in Miyagi's words.

"Let's scrimmage!" Iishi Kentaro shouted, the words delivered at just the right time. Sasaoka Satoro nearby nodded enthusiastically, neither of the two realizing that they had perhaps saved the basketball club from another fistfight. Now second-years, the two former benchwarmers of the team had ironically remained in the same position, with little playing time to display their skills. However, the two had continually worked hard in practice and were still energetic in their cheering for Shohoku during games.

"Yeah. How about a game?" Miyagi smiled, keeping his gaze locked on Sakuragi. Even though the two could be called friends, he knew that he had to assert his captain role early on, particularly around a troublemaker like Sakuragi.

"Everyone divide into groups of 3 on 3, half-court games!" Miyagi shouted before Sakuragi could answer. While the others now beginning to set up teams, the gym doors opened again with a creak.

Gangly arms trailing at his side, a new player strode at a slow, almost lazy pace towards the others. Although wiry, there was still a layer of toned muscle over his body that showed strong conditioning. His face was decorated with bandages and his arms were similarly wrapped to cover up what seemed to be cuts. His black hair was cut relatively short, nearly to the point of Sakuragi's monk-like buzz cut a year ago. He easily towered over most of the other players on the team, save for Sakuragi himself. His relaxed expression and seemingly easygoing saunter seemed lackadaisical. However, his gaze was anything but; though blank, behind them lay a fierce competitive spirit, a type of frightening determination that the other Shohoku starters seemed to share.

He raised a hand in apology once he was within earshot, the other holding his schoolbag.

"Sorry I'm late, captain."

"It's all right. Just make sure you don't do it often," Miyagi replied, tone softening. Unlike the way he conversed with Sakuragi, Miyagi treated the new player with far more courtesy.

"I won't," the teen agreed. Upon catching Ayako's gaze, he quickly bowed in thanks.

"Thank you for giving me those bandages the other day, Ayako-senpai. You really didn't have to."

Ayako frowned, giving the new arrival a serious look.

"Take better care of yourself. I wouldn't have believed you had gotten those playing basketball." Like Miyagi, Ayako seemed to get along with the new player well.

The rookie bowed again, respecting her words. Miyagi cleared his throat and patted the taller player on the shoulder, shooting a glance over at Sakuragi.

"This is that new guy I was telling you about," Miyagi said, introducing the player to the redhead.

A glint of recognition surfaced in the freshman's gaze.

"Oh. I think I remember you being mentioned. Sakuragi? Sakuragi… uh…hm…"

Sakuragi's chest swelled with a bit pride at being recognized— though the rookie was still struggling over his name, he had been recognized all the same.

"Sakuragi Hanamichi! Don't forget that! My genius is already famous around here though, I see!"

"Yeah," the rookie offered him a wan smile, leaving it at that. He extended a hand in greeting.

"Excuse my straightforwardness, but you can just call me Hiroshi. Pleased to meet you, Sakuragi-senpai."

"Got it!" Sakuragi laughed, slapping hands with Hiroshi. The exchange allowed Miyagi to heave a small sigh of relief, which the others thankfully didn't notice. Though Miyagi hadn't expected any problems between the two players, it was nonetheless reassuring to see that Hiroshi was getting along with the difficult redhead.

_Wish Hiroshi's first meeting with Rukawa had been this stress-free,_ Miyagi thought to himself. Before he could mull things over further, Mitsui strode up with a ball in hand.

"Let's just start playing. I think this is a good chance for the rookie here to get acquainted with some real basketball. Oi, Rukawa!"

Rukawa, who had been shooting at the other side of the court, made his way to the vice-captain. Unlike the others, he had not been willing to take part in any of Sakuragi's warm-up orders.

"3 on 3, right?" Mitsui confirmed, shooting Miyagi a knowing glance.

"All right," Miyagi grinned, instantly picking up on Mitsui's train of thought. "How about me, Sakuragi, and Mitsui against Yasuda, Hiroshi, and Rukawa?"

Sakuragi chuckled, pleased at Miyagi's choices for teams. _Excellent… I get to show my skills to that wild fox immediately!_

Ayako, as if reading Miyagi's mind, handed him a whistle which he casually tossed over to Kakuta nearby.

"Kakuta, could you play referee as usual?" Miyagi asked despite clearly having made up his mind. Kakuta nodded, moving off to fetch a ball.

"Putting Hiroshi and Rukawa together? Pitting Sakuragi against Rukawa?" Mitsui whispered to Miyagi, seemingly not as confident in Miyagi's decision as Sakuragi was. The others were murmuring amongst each other, obviously now highly interested in watching this star-studded matchup instead of actually playing with each other.

"Aya-chan told me they get along fine now. And you want to see Sakuragi and Rukawa play against each other just as much as me," Miyagi replied in a hiss, trying to look as casual as possible. Mitsui could say no more, but seemed to trust Miyagi's judgment as Kakuta returned with a ball. The players moved to their spots around the mid-court line, almost as if they had choreographed it before. Sakuragi and Rukawa met at the center, ready for the jump ball. Though the two didn't exchange insults, their reunion on the courts seemed to fill the atmosphere with an invisible electricity and intensity.

Hiroshi quickly threw his school belongings into the corner of the gym and readied himself, not even bothering to change into his practice clothes or warm himself up; he already had his game shoes on, though no one could guess when he had put them on. Miyagi and Mitsui both focused on the ball, their muscles twitching in anticipation. Yasuda, who had joined the group, kept his eyes glued on the duo at mid-court.

Without warning, the ball flew into the air. The two rivals soared after it, reaching to grasp victory.

* * *

_Commentary: Patterning off Inoue's tendency to base his characters off actual NBA stars, Hiroshi's character model is George "The Iceman" Gervin for his wiry build, unflappable demeanor, and smooth game. _


	4. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating this wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday. _

**Chapter 3- New Style**

A dull smack resounded through the air as the ball was tipped… right into the hands of Yasuda.

_Damn!_ Sakuragi thought, dashing off to play defense as soon as he could. Though he had indeed grown taller, the new size advantage that he had over Rukawa made no difference—his legs still weren't in the same shape they used to be, and Rukawa knew how to time his jump better than Sakuragi.

Yasuda carefully dribbled the ball to the top of the key, with Hiroshi trailing the left wing and Rukawa off to the right side. The defensive assignments were consistent with the height of the players: Mitsui was guarding Rukawa, Miyagi was on Yasuda…but Sakuragi was staying in the paint, leaving his man, Hiroshi, open to roam about.

Yasuda abruptly stopped his dribble and tried to give the ball off to Rukawa despite the fact that the Shohoku ace wasn't even at a good passing angle. As expected, the sloppy pass was immediately picked off by Mitsui.

Mitsui shook his head disdainfully upon securing the steal, lecturing the senior. "Yasuda. You know better than to throw a dangerous pass to a closely guarded person."

"Right!" Yasuda replied, knowing he had made a mistake. The sight of Sakuragi on the court again had made even the normally calm guard a bit scatterbrained from emotion. Now more concentrated he quickly scanned his surroundings, having lost sight of Miyagi.

The moment of distraction had been more than enough for the crafty point guard to speed off. By the time Yasuda noticed him again, Miyagi already had possession of the ball thanks to a pass from Mitsui. As Miyagi scanned the floor, it was evident his eyes were still trained like that of a playmaker: he hardly looked at the basket, disregarding it as his first option and instead focused on running the offense even though it was a casual game.

Yasuda jogged into position, taking advantage of Miyagi's momentary distraction to get in front of him. As means of exerting some defensive pressure Yasuda tried a swipe at the ball, hoping to steal. But Miyagi not only easily avoided this with a smooth dribble between the legs, he didn't even seem to notice that Yasuda had caught back up to him; the dribble seemed to have been made with sheer instinct alone.

"Miyagi, right here!"

Miyagi didn't even directly look towards the person who shouted. Instead, by simply following the sound of the voice, he effortlessly threw a bounce pass to Mitsui in the corner of the court.

Mitsui gave Rukawa a glance, and judging that the spacing between himself and the other player was a bit too close for him to take a jumper safely, dumped the ball down to Sakuragi.

"Thanks Micchi!" Sakuragi shouted, turning towards the basket and realizing he was in perfect position for the easy dunk. He leapt into the air, displaying signs of his old game legs as he soared into the air for what appeared to be the unguarded slam.

"GORILLA DUN—"

Suddenly, an impossibly long arm reached out from behind Sakuragi's head and smacked the ball away. Sakuragi's surprise was evident on his face and he almost came crashing to the floor from the abrupt opposing force. Rukawa reacted instantaneously, scooping up the loose ball before the others could.

Sakuragi whirled to find the culprit to be Hiroshi, who gave the redhead an ambiguous look, as if he wasn't quite sure what to make of the redhead just yet.

"Luck!" Sakuragi fumed as he turned his attention back to defense… albeit a bit too late, as Rukawa simply lifted into the air and shot a mid-range jumper that caught nothing but net before Mitsui could even rotate over.

Yasuda went to fetch the ball. After picking the ball up, Yasuda gave Miyagi an inquisitive look, realizing that they had not set the conditions for the scrimmage yet.

"Play by ones and twos? Who takes out?"

Miyagi nodded distractedly, obviously displeased with their play on the last offensive sequence. "Yeah. Ones and twos, up to 11, loser's take out."

Ayako, having overheard the conversation from her spot on the sidelines, changed the score to 1-0 before again leaning back into her seat to observe the game.

Miyagi checked the ball and, before the other point guard could even register what had happened, shot past Yasuda with his raw speed alone. It was clear that Miyagi was still the fastest player on Shohoku.

However, there would be no easy path to the basket; Miyagi instantly flinched back when the long arms of Hiroshi charmed at Miyagi's dribble, nearly stealing it from out and under him. Miyagi shot a glance over the forward's shoulder and realized that Hiroshi had opted to leave Sakuragi open to guard Miyagi until Yasuda caught up.

_Risky,_ Miyagi thought, slowing his dribble, his drive temporarily stalled. Hiroshi crouched ever lower, almost meeting Miyagi at eye-level. He spread out his gangly arms, blocking off possible passing lanes and lowering Miyagi mobility. It was textbook defensive positioning.

_But that is not a wrong play,_ Miyagi realized, knowing that Hiroshi had been left with no options. Though Miyagi had seen Hiroshi play before, he was nevertheless impressed at the rookie's basketball intelligence.

Despite the fact that Sakuragi was open and Miyagi could have easily made a pass, Miyagi felt his competitive fire rising. He started to pound the ball quicker against the floor, locking gazes with Hiroshi.

In a flash, Miyagi bounced the ball right through Hiroshi's legs and shot past him, taking advantage of the natural hesitation that arose from Hiroshi when the ball had disappeared between his legs. Miyagi quickly picked up the ball on the other side and rushed in for the uncontested lay-up. 1-1 now.

Hiroshi glanced over his shoulder, not minding that he had gotten beaten—in fact, his voice sounded amused.

"Still playing street there, captain?"

Miyagi offered Hiroshi a devil-may-care smile that Hiroshi returned, the two friendly despite the brief one-on-one.

Rukawa, meanwhile, didn't even seem to care as he picked the ball up and heaved it to Yasuda at the top of the key, eager to start the next possession. Yasuda checked the ball with Sakuragi and bounced the ball right back to Rukawa, trying to take full advantage of the fact that Miyagi was still near Hiroshi and not guarding his man.

Rukawa considered Mitsui for only a moment before simply leaping up and swishing another jump shot, not even bothering to take advantage of the size mismatches that had been created. Miyagi looked just a tad embarrassed at having lost focus, moving off to check the ball with Yasuda as quickly as he could so they could move on and forget his lapse in concentration.

As if by second nature, Rukawa flowed seamlessly back into defense, the Shohoku ace now placing a hand on the small of Mitsui's back to make sure that the shooter wouldn't run off without Rukawa knowing.

_Still taking this game so seriously…_Mitsui thought. _Maybe Sakuragi's return did have an effect on him…_

Sakuragi, on the other hand, wasn't impressed with anything Rukawa did and was instead fuming at being neglected.

"Ryo-chin! Pass to me already!"

Miyagi heeded the redhead's words and shot a bullet pass to him, curious to what Sakuragi could do after just getting back from therapy. Sakuragi caught the speeding ball and turned, a pleased grin spreading across his face. He was open yet again and this time, Hiroshi was too far away to realistically rotate back over.

"Leaving this Tensai open is naïve!" Sakuragi's shouted before he leapt into the air… and completely botched the dunk, slamming the ball into the rim instead of into the net.

The Shohoku group let out a collective sigh.

"Damn!" Sakuragi swore, turning and getting ready to scramble for the rebound as soon as he landed. However, Hiroshi glided in and snatched up the ball, having already been racing in Sakuragi's general direction to guard him just a second prior.

"Yasuda-senpai!" Hiroshi yelled and threw a pass to his senior in the corner. Yasuda sped for the basket, managing to catch Miyagi out-of-position. With Hiroshi holding Sakuragi back, Yasuda was able to effortlessly lay in the shot before the rest of the players could converge. 3-1.

Miyagi turned and comically kicked Sakuragi in the rear, frustrated. "What kind of dunk was that?"

Mitsui's shout broke into Miyagi's rant before it could even get started. "Miyagi, the ball!"

Mitsui's inbounds pass bounced off Miyagi's back and Yasuda immediately picked it up, not missing a beat.

_Crap,_ Miyagi dully thought, realizing his mistake. Yasuda snapped a pass to Hiroshi, who breezed past the distracted Sakuragi and made a lay-up of his own. 4-1.

Sakuragi returned the favor and slammed his fist over Miyagi's head. "What kind of catch was that?"

"A non-existent one," Mitsui said dryly as he motioned for the ball from Hiroshi, the shooter not even moving from his previous spot due to the botched offensive sequence.

He passed the ball to Miyagi again, this time after making sure the point guard was paying attention.

"Ryota, concentrate!"

Miyagi's ears instantly caught the sound of the clear, bell-like voice. He turned towards Ayako, his left hand in the victory sign and a blush on his face. He seemed to have tuned out the game—including the double-team about to converge on him.

"Holy crap, Miyagi, pay attenti—" Mitsui yelled before the ball slammed into his waiting hands. Mitsui almost missed the catch, surprised that Miyagi had made a seemingly blind pass to him so accurately.

Miyagi's eyes had already turned into hearts as he continued to oogle Ayako.

"Ayako-chan…"

The others could only gape at his pathetic behavior.

Seizing the moment, Mitsui let fly a three-pointer with a smooth flick of the wrist. As expected from a shooter of Mitsui's caliber, the result of an open three could only be a beautiful swish through the net. 4-3.

Sakuragi sweatdropped. _Ryo-chin hasn't changed a bit…_

While some mulled over Mitsui's shot (and others at Miyagi's embarrassing antics), Rukawa was not one to be distracted by the idiosyncrasies of his teammates. He was already racing towards the basket, having taken a pass from Yasuda. Mitsui took all but two steps from where he had been standing outside the three-point line before realizing that there was just way too much ground to cover.

"Sakuragi!" Mitsui shouted in warning, knowing he couldn't catch up to guard his man.

Sakuragi, heeding Mitsui's words, felt his muscles tense with anticipation as he turned to face his rival. Undeterred, Rukawa leaped straight into the air, cradling the ball close to his stomach.

_He's trying to dunk on me…?_ Sakuragi thought in shock before he exploded with a huge jump, matching Rukawa's vertical.

"You think too little of me, fox!"

The slightest evidence of surprise floated across the ace's face, but Rukawa reacted to the unexpected burst of athleticism by twisting in mid-air and throwing the ball to a streaking Hiroshi. Sakuragi could only watch helplessly as Hiroshi raced behind the redhead, throwing in a gentle lay-up off the backboard.

Sakuragi scowled as he grabbed the loose ball, disappointed that Rukawa hadn't directly challenged him. However, typical to his behavior, Sakuragi still felt the need to taunt.

"What's wrong, smelly fox? Afraid of this Tensai's defensive skills?"

Rukawa stared at him blankly, the earlier surprise towards Sakuragi's display of athleticism long gone.

"Dou ahou."

Rukawa casually walked off after dropping his characteristic insult, leaving a seething Sakuragi behind. Before the redhead could spout any further offenses, Mitsui smacked Sakuragi upside the head from behind.

"Why do you always jump when another player looks even _remotely_ like he's going to take a shot? You, of all people, should know damn well Rukawa passes the ball extremely well!"

Sakuragi's hands instantly shot to the bruise that was forming on his head, defensive.

"Stop complaining, Micchi! I'll shut down the fox next time."

Mitsui sighed and took a few steps back, aiming to improve spacing between the players now that his team was back on offense. 

_Still, Rukawa doesn't pass the ball as much as we'd like him to. Can't be helped, with the way the team has been playing… it's hard to trust your teammates when they can't step up._

Meanwhile, Miyagi was already patiently waiting for his teammates to stop their bickering, having checked the ball in already. Yasuda knew Miyagi's weakness and gave the Shohoku captain room, electing to be pretty prepared for a drive because Miyagi's jump shot wasn't reliable. Miyagi responded to this unspoken insult by shooting Mitsui a pass, not bothering to try and prove Yasuda wrong because even he knew his jump shot was not a priority on offense.

Mitsui managed to catch the pass but was instantly greeted with smothering defense courtesy of Rukawa. Mitsui straightened, managing to get a glimpse of Sakuragi being marked tightly by Hiroshi. The rookie's intuition was on point, since he seemed to have caught on to the fact that Sakuragi was a legitimate threat. It was indeed a surprise to everyone that Sakuragi was playing unexpectedly well despite the long lay-off time from basketball.

Mitsui was forced to pass back to Miyagi, out of options. Miyagi was still left open and now had no choice but to shoot a hesitant jumper. The shot came up short and Sakuragi was immediately in the air, hauling down the offensive rebound before Hiroshi could even react.

_He hasn't lost that penchant for rebounds,_ Miyagi grinned as he blazed past Yasuda, easily beating the other point guard in speed. Sakuragi saw the short point guard race towards him and dropped a bounce pass down. The point guard caught the wonderful pass and quickly shot a floater before a defender could rotate over, bringing the scores to 5-4.

"Yes!" Sakuragi and Miyagi high-fived in celebration. Mitsui's annoyed voice instantly crushed their momentary joy.

"Hey, you idiots!" Mitsui called, albeit way too late. Yasuda heaved the ball up into the air, having already taken the ball out.

"Crap!" the two yelled in unison, turning just in time to see Rukawa throw down an alley-oop dunk. 6-4 now.

Mitsui heaved a frustrated sigh, shooting the pair a dirty look.

"Great defense, guys," Mitsui muttered sarcastically.

Sakuragi took the comment more seriously than Mitsui had intended. His mind started to drift; Mitsui's words had shaken something in him, though he was not immediately sure what.

_The defense really is a lot worse now. If this Tensai thinks about it… all the shots were not really well-guarded. Ryo-chin loses his concentration easily on defense now, too... _

Suddenly, a saying surfaced from his memories, having been nearly completely forgotten.

**"_We'll fight for our points with them."_**

_We're playing like that longhaired monster's team!_ Sakuragi realized, thinking to the Toyotama game last summer. And was also reminded of the inevitable negative results that came with that playing style.

_But that isn't Shohoku basketball…_

"Oi!" Miyagi kicked Sakuragi in the calf to catch the redhead's attention. "We're back on offense! Look sharp!"

"All right," Sakuragi replied, distracted.

_I'll mention this to the old man,_ he decided as he strayed a bit farther from the basket, trying to get into his favorite angle for a jump shot. He now felt like a stranger on this new-look Shohoku and one anxious thought sat in his mind:

_Shohoku… what have you become while this Tensai was gone?_


	5. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday_.

**Chapter 4- Limit**

"Damnit!"

Mitsui, standing at the top of the key for the reset, slapped the basketball in frustration. The combination of Hiroshi and Rukawa had run his team ragged and the score had swelled to 9-4, with the duo slicing through the defense and avoiding Sakuragi enough to score. Miyagi and Mitsui, on the other hand, had missed their shots each trip down the floor, and Sakuragi was not a big enough offensive threat so Miyagi hadn't thrown many passed to him. Sakuragi had grown strangely pensive while the score ran up and Mitsui could tell that he wasn't concentrating on the game, especially because the redhead's rebounding seemed to be lackluster.

"Hey, Sakuragi!"

Sakuragi turned, oblivious to the slight edge in Mitsui's tone. "Hm?"

"Pay attention! Rukawa is completely breaking down your defense!"

Upon hearing this, Sakuragi instantly frowned. "What are you talking about? I'm the devil of concentration!"

Before Mitsui could shoot a comeback, Miyagi dashed in front of the tall shooting guard and motioned for the ball. "Don't worry about it. Let's get those points back."

Mitsui sighed and did a pass-off to Miyagi. Though Miyagi hadn't articulated it, Mitsui knew that his fellow senior was right; there wasn't much point yelling at Sakuragi, since he had just come back and it was unreasonable to expect much from him.

_On offense at least_, Mitsui thought bitterly. Sakuragi was rusty, there was no doubt about that—but his freakish athleticism and eternal stamina should have been more than enough for him to keep crashing the boards like a monster. Rebounding was more about positioning and desire, and everyone knew that Sakuragi had a nose for the ball; however, right now, the redhead was lacking focus and it had started to seep into other aspects of his game. Hiroshi and Rukawa had had their way with him so far, and even Yasuda seemed unafraid of just charging in to challenge the redhead.

"Shit!"

Mitsui's head snapped up just in time to see Miyagi get blocked by Rukawa. Hiroshi scooped up the loose ball and prepared to pass it off to Yasuda, who was already open at the three-point arc.

"In your dreams!"

Hiroshi looked surprised as an energetic Sakuragi bounced into the air, cutting off Hiroshi's field of vision—and that moment of hesitation allowed Miyagi to recover and steal the ball back from Hiroshi's relaxed arms. Miyagi promptly turned on his heel, making one long stride back to the basket but was once again cut off by Rukawa.

_Excellent defensive recovery,_ Miyagi relented as he shot a look over his back, bouncing a pass backwards straight into Mitsui's hands. Mitsui lifted into the air and nailed a jumper from the free throw line, bringing them within shooting distance at 9-5.

Rukawa picked up the loose ball without a word, taking it back out for the reset. The ace lifted the ball over his head as Mitsui marked him as he considered his options, and soon his attention locked onto the rookie, who was panting for breath. Hiroshi looked completely exhausted, his hands on his knees and completely ignoring the fact that they were back on offense.

Rukawa stared at Hiroshi for a second longer before heaving the ball towards him anyway, the ball smacking the rookie in the back and catching him completely off-guard.

"Huh...?!" Hiroshi swung his vision up just in time to see Miyagi grab the loose ball. Without missing a beat, Miyagi snapped a chest pass straight into Sakuragi's hands. From the sidelines, Anzai nodded appreciatively at the pass, which was perfect for the redhead:

Sakuragi was standing 45 degrees to the right of the basket.

The redhead leaped up for the jump shot, with everyone holding their breath in anticipation…

…and threw the ball over the backboard.

Sighs all around.

"It's okay Sakuragi," Mitsui said quietly, breaking the sudden silence as Sakuragi just nodded a bit dazedly.

_Why won't it go in?_ Sakuragi thought, looking down at his shooting hand. _I used my legs, but…_

While Miyagi went to fetch the ball, Yasuda took the brief intermission to speak with Rukawa. "Rukawa…"

Rukawa, who hadn't responded at all to the airball, lifted his head and stared at Yasuda, politely waiting for him to continue.

Yasuda lowered his voice a bit. "Give the rookie some time to recover, okay? He's excited from meeting such strong opposition, and I think he strained himself a bit… he seems to be at his limit."

Rukawa listened attentively with his hands on his hips, but shook his head slightly when Yasuda finished. "No."

Yasuda blinked, astonished. "Why, Rukawa?"

"No one on an opposing team cares if you're tired."

Rukawa immediately sauntered off to another place on the court before Yasuda could say any more, ending the conversation. Yasuda considered the retreating figure of Rukawa.

_You've really become the ace of Shohoku. Akagi was right about that… but do you know your teammates' limits? We're not all as talented as you. You were forced to leave the court against Kainan due to exhaustion last year… are you making sure other players that will help the team don't suffer the same fate during crunch time?_

Yasuda shot a look at Hiroshi, who was hunched over as his sweat ran down his body. Though he wasn't out of shape, the lanky forward looked as if he was using all his energy to keep standing. Yasuda heaved a sigh, knowing he couldn't do anything about it and just walked away, respecting Rukawa's decision.

Miyagi tossed the ball back in Rukawa's direction, starting the game back up. Rukawa immediately snapped a pass to Hiroshi again, and though he caught it this time, Hiroshi looked completely out of it. Miyagi quickly slacked off on defense from Yasuda for a brief moment, taking a swipe at the ball and instantly halting Hiroshi's dribble.

Hiroshi, startled, whirled around and tried to look for someone to pass to. However, Miyagi had instantly caught the moment of weakness and completely rotated off Yasuda, holding his hands up to block Hiroshi's field of vision. Mitsui still kept a tight defense on Rukawa and Yasuda was outside of Hiroshi's gaze, leaving the rookie with no visible options. In a state of panic, he put the ball on the floor again and the sound of the whistle immediately stopped play.

"Double dribble!" Kakuta called, striding over with his hands out expectantly. Hiroshi sighed and flipped the ball over, visibly disappointed. Though Hiroshi moved back onto defense shaking his head in irritation, Rukawa didn't look too upset at the turnover, as if it was something expected.

After Kakuta handed the ball back off to Miyagi, the point guard moved to the top of the key with the ball and paused for the briefest of moments. In a flash, he shot another quick pass to Sakuragi, still trusting his teammate to find his offensive groove.

Sakuragi was open, but looked slightly hesitant about shooting despite the basket being within his shooting range. Instead, he dribbled to the side to try and get closer to the basket, but the ball glanced off his foot and bounced free. Yasuda scooped up the loose ball and quickly flipped a pass to Rukawa, who had reacted instantaneously to the redhead's mistake and left Mitsui to play catch-up. In a blur, Rukawa cut down the baseline and quickly laid ball up and in before anyone could recover. 10-5.

Miyagi once again kicked Sakuragi in the rear, immediately pinning the blame on the redhead. "Have you forgotten how to dribble too?"

Instead of lashing out, Sakuragi glanced dully at Miyagi. Miyagi sighed and looked upwards to meet the second year's eyes, knowing full well that the redhead had something on his mind.

"Hey, why aren't you concentrating?"

Sakuragi stared at Miyagi for another moment, thinking of how to phrase his concerns before finally replying.

"Did we always play this way?"

Miyagi barely hid his surprise. _He caught it really fast…_

Miyagi sighed again, this time heavily. "Yeah, it's changed since you left. We were a bit short of tall players and… well, I guess we just weren't what we were last summer. Even during the winter tournaments… no, I think because of the winter tournaments… Anzai-sensei chose a smaller, athletic line up this year that would bring sheer offensive power at the cost of defense. We can guard the perimeter pretty well, but we've lost battles on the inside and are often out-rebounded by the opposing team. Even I know that if we really expect to win anything, that if this goes on…"

Miyagi paused and something in his head went off. "But, now that you're back… it should be okay. You're very important to the team, Hanamichi."

Sakuragi's demeanor transformed instantly upon hearing the compliment, his face breaking into a sunny smile.

"Of course! This Tensai will save the team!" Sakuragi laughed arrogantly, resulting in a few sweatdrops to appear on the Shohoku players' heads at the ease of manipulation.

Miyagi nodded in response and picked the ball up. "All right, then show us."

With a gentle bounce, Miyagi passed the ball to the tall redhead. "Direct the offense. This may seem odd, but I'll let you take over the attack now. You have good instincts."

Sakuragi looked a bit surprised at this request, but shrugged it off instantly.

"Such an easy job, Ryota!" Sakuragi chortled as he moved to the top of the key.

Mitsui pulled up to Miyagi as Sakuragi ran ahead, not noticing the two quietly talking behind him. "Are you making the right decision here, Miyagi? I've heard of big guys directing offense, but this is Sakuragi we're talking about, man."

Miyagi rolled his eyes. "As if we're still playing to win right now? Listen, what Sakuragi is lacking now is _confidence_. When I'm talking to him, he still seems to have an inherent gift at analyzing the game's situation."

Miyagi changed his glance back ahead as Sakuragi waited outside the arc for the two to catch up. "He's acting as arrogant as before, but somehow… deep in his heart, he's doubting his ability. It's natural, since he was gone so long. But he needs to reaffirm to himself that he can still be a star player on the team. He needs to realize that he's a weapon, not an offensive liability. This is just a scrimmage—if we get Sakuragi back to his old skill level…"

Mitsui considered what Miyagi said carefully before relenting.

"Okay, I'll leave it in your hands," Mitsui agreed, the two moving away from each other as Sakuragi taunted Yasuda and Rukawa for no apparent reason. However, as soon as he noticed the other two players on his team ready to play again, Sakuragi suddenly grew silent and his eyes snapped into focus. In a quick decision, Sakuragi shot the ball towards Mitsui, the shooter momentarily unguarded because Hiroshi had failed to rotate over. Mitsui gripped the familiar ball in his hands and reared up for the three pointer, the ball flying effortlessly through the air and soaring to the hoop, the arc just perfect… but it came up short, clanging off the front of the rim.

Mitsui grimaced in disappointment, but before anyone could react, a streaking figure raced from straight down the center and leapt into the air. A second later, a thunderous slam rocked the gym as a stunned Miyagi looked on to see Sakuragi casually land back to the floor. 10-6.

Sakuragi instantly started bragging, pointing a finger to his temple. "Longer shots give off longer rebounds, eh? This Tensai noticed that long ago!"

Miyagi tried to hide his surprise, returning Sakuragi's smile. "Nice one. Now show them you have more than just offensive power and hops."

Sakuragi's eyes glinted with pride. "I just have offense, huh? Fools!" he laughed, whirling around and preparing to play defense.

Miyagi and Mitsui shot a perplexed look at each other, sharing the same thought:_ No wonder Akagi was able to deal with this guy._

"Game point!" Yasuda called as he handed the loose ball off to Rukawa. The ace wasted no time in literally destroying the other players: he quickly stutter-stepped past Mitsui's defense and almost insultingly dribbled the ball over Miyagi's diminutive stature, racing towards the hoop and leaving the two defenders in a state of shock at the abrupt display of offensive aggression.

Sakuragi stood ready, now the only one between Rukawa and the basket. With blatant disregard for the redhead, Rukawa leapt into the air as Sakuragi followed suit. By sheer instinct, Sakuragi recalled the play from moments ago and quickly lashed out one of his hands, not to block a shot…

…but to block off the pass that Rukawa had intended for Yasuda.

Rukawa didn't show any visible reaction to the wonderful defensive read from Sakuragi. Hiroshi, who had been racing down the other side of the basket, picked up the loose ball and hit a bank shot from the left corner as the two rivals landed back to Earth.

11-6.

Match over.


	6. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on Fanfiction. Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday_.

**  
Chapter 5- Training, Revisited Part I**

Miyagi silently wiped sweat off his brow, trying to hide his frustration. Sakuragi's face, on the other hand, displayed the well of emotions surfacing within him… the primary one being discontent.

Mitsui was taking it the hardest. Typical to his character, he took the loss personally, even though it was just a scrimmage. In his head, he was already playing the match over again, and berating himself for every missed shot, missed rebound, and turnover he committed. Mitsui sighed, and tried to swallow his disappointment. However, it wouldn't disappear, and the feeling was bitter.

Bitter.

Hiroshi, clearly winded, was the first to extend a hand at Miyagi. "Thank you for the game."

Miyagi stared at the outstretched hand for a few seconds, as if it was a foreign and possibly dangerous object, before he shook it briefly. It was clear he was not used to such politeness after just a simple scrimmage game.

"Not a problem, but you don't need to thank me… we're just practicing, after all."

Hiroshi grinned sheepishly. "Ah, that's right."

"You like it here?" Miyagi asked conversationally, trying to take his mind off the loss. Hiroshi nodded ambiguously, not enough to give Miyagi clear commitment to the Shohoku team, but enough for the point guard to recognize that the win itself had pleased the rookie. Miyagi shrugged the thought off with little concern, knowing that the rookie would definitely be staying, if Miyagi's instincts from their initial meeting had been right.

Yasuda was satisfied over the team's win, but Rukawa had already shrugged off the victory and was wandering off to the lockers, as if the outcome was predestined and anything other than victory would have been a shock.

Miyagi considered everyone for a moment and then spoke hesitatingly. "Well… I guess practice is adjourned. If anyone wants to stay, feel free."

There seemed to be no takers and almost everyone clamored after Rukawa for the lockers to change out of their sweaty clothes. Miyagi shrugged and was about to leave as well before seeing that Mitsui and Sakuragi hadn't budged from their spots.

"It might be a good idea for Sakuragi to play some more," Miyagi suggested before walking off to join the others. Mitsui didn't seem to heed the words and instead gave the redhead an up-and-down, a move that Sakuragi instantly caught.

"You got a problem, Micchi?"

"Yeah…" Mitsui replied, tossing Sakuragi the ball. "Your defense sucked."

"Maybe in the eyes of a commoner like you!" Sakuragi laughed in self-bravado, easily palming the ball in one hand. "I easily conquered the fox! He's no match for me!"

"Says the air-ball master."

"Just giving them a handicap, Micchi! It was on purpose!"

Rukawa, who was tugging his Nike sweatshirt on as he meandered out of the lockers, gave the two a blank look before reaching for his backpack. Sakuragi instantly pounced upon the fact that the Shohoku ace was leaving practice earlier than he was.

"Ha! Smelly fox, scared of my skills today, hm? Running from a battle that you know you can't win…" Sakuragi stroked his chin and looked up towards the rafters, a mocking glint in his eye. "You are wiser than I thought."

"Dou ahou," Rukawa sighed, pulling his walkman out of his backpack and inserting his headphones into his ears. Without so much as another glance, he pushed open the double doors of the gym and walked out into the cooling night air.

"He's probably off to practice alone again," Mitsui said, nodding where Rukawa had exited. Rukawa had always preferred practicing on his own, and ever since he had underwent the All-Japan training, he seemed to be constantly seeking ways to push his limits even further.

"Loner fox!" Sakuragi laughed, leaving Mitsui alone as he went to do some layup drills. At the same moment, Miyagi walked out of the lockers, sports bag strap already fixated upon his forehead and sunglasses on. He gave Mitsui and Sakuragi a brief nod of the head as he headed for the exit.

"I'm out, so later guys." However, instead of immediately exiting, his gaze lingered a bit longer over Ayako, who was also busy packing up her things and filling out stats sheets at the other side of the court.

Sakuragi caught the stare and was about to comment about it before the gym doors opened once again, cutting into his thoughts.

A pretty schoolgirl, with dark hair and an innocent face, peeked her head in and glanced curiously around. Sakuragi started at the familiar face, completely caught off guard as her soft voice reached his ears.

"Hello? Is everyone still practicing?"

With his mind frozen momentarily, Mitsui, who had wandered over to where they were, spoke up on Sakuragi's behalf. "Hey, Haruko-chan. Recognize this guy?"

Haruko, the long-time crush of Sakuragi, donned a similar stricken look upon seeing who Mitsui was gesturing to. However, her face instantly dissolved into a bright smile as she quickly raced into the gym, excitedly stopping right in front of the tall redhead.

"Sakuragi-kun?! Oh… oh my goodness! It's really you! When did you return?!"

Sakuragi blinked, trying to stutter out some sort of response. Fortunately, Mitsui was there to again cover for him. "He got out of the hospital about two days ago."

"Ahh," Haruko said, slowly digesting the news before her smile widened. "Oh, Sakuragi-kun, did you get all the letters I sent you?"

Finally reaching a semi-coherent state, Sakuragi managed to nod with a fierce blush already evident on his face. "Ah! Yes! Yes, Haruko-chan! Thank you for always keeping me up to date! Hahaha!"

Haruko clapped her hands together excitedly, not minding (or even noticing) the nervousness of Sakuragi. "I'm glad! How did therapy go?"

"Oh… uh, no problem!" Sakuragi laughed, far too loudly. "Nothing that I, basketball genius, couldn't handle!"

Miyagi sweatdropped from the sidelines, having decided not to immediately leave if only to witness the comedy that was likely to arise from Sakuragi meeting Haruko again. _Basketball genius? If Haruko had been here to see the airballs…_

"He's rejoining the team," Hiroshi offered helpfully, the rookie having just stepped out of the lockers. He had changed out of his sweaty school clothes into a tattered hoodie and torn jeans, none of the clothes flashy or anywhere near as expensive as the things Rukawa normally wore.

In the thrill of the moment, Haruko grabbed Sakuragi's hands into her own. If Haruko's smile could get any wider, her face was liable to split. "That's great news! My brother is going to be so happy to hear this! We've been waiting for you so long, Sakuragi-kun! Ever since winter, I was always waiting for you to come back!"

While Sakuragi's brain entered a state of blissful meltdown, Haruko's hands dropped away as she lifted her head to speak with everyone in the room. "By the way…"

The other Shohoku players slowly gave her their attention, with those that were still trickling out of the locker room now gathering around the group.

"My brother wanted to wish you guys the best of luck, and to tell you guys 'not to mess it up,'" she quoted, mimicking Akagi's authoritative voice a bit without malice. She flashed a quick smile to show that she had been joking, but her voice again dropped as she continued to deliver her message. "He also said one more thing… it meant a lot to him.

He told you all to 'conquer the nation' in his place."

All of Shohoku's players, if they had not been completely attentive before, fell into a solemn hush upon hearing those words.

Miyagi was the first to speak up, taking over his role as the new captain of the team. "Tell Akagi that Shohoku will prevail. We…" he paused, searching for the right thing to say. "We won't let him down."

The heavy atmosphere lifted as Haruko again flashed everyone a bright smile. "Okay, I'll be sure to tell him!"

She gave Sakuragi an excited look as she started to slowly walk backwards, heading for the exit. "I'll be sure to tell Brother you've returned to the team. I'm sure he'll be happy about that! Oh, and Ayako, thanks for covering for me again today!"

Ayako raised her hand, acknowledging that she had heard Haruko. Though Haruko was the other manageress of the team, she did not show up to practices quite as much as Ayako did.

Haruko waved to everyone as she reached the double-doors of the gym."Well, I'll be going home then, since practice looks like its over! I'll see you all around!"

The Shohoku's players mumbled their goodbyes, while Sakuragi was quick to call out a thundering "Take care!"

As the gym doors quietly shut again, Sakuragi's gaze lingered at where Haruko had previously been. _Haruko-chan…_

Miyagi straightened the duffel bag strap on top of his forehead before giving everyone another curt nod, having seen all that he wanted to.

"I'm off as well, so see you all at practice tomorrow." He walked out with his hands placed firmly in his pockets, shooting another glance at Ayako despite himself. The rest of the players also began to trickle out, and soon it was only Anzai, Mitsui, Sakuragi, and Ayako remaining.

Ayako also made to leave, writing something on her clipboard before handing it over to Anzai. "Here are the statistics for the scrimmage. I'll be seeing you boys later."

She waved her fan at them, giving Sakuragi a tap on the head for emphasis. "Glad to see you back."

The three duly raised their hands and Ayako was soon gone as well. The gym was once again eerily silent, as it always was when there weren't many people there.

Before Mitsui could make a move towards the basketball rack, Anzai motioned towards the vice-captain. "Mitsui-kun, let me speak to you."

Mitsui gave the chubby coach a surprised look, caught-off guard by the sudden invitation. However, typical to Mitsui's character, he was quick to agree to any request by his favorite coach and was instantly at Anzai's side. While Sakuragi sauntered off to practice on his own, Anzai drew Mitsui away from the redhead's listening distance. He considered Mitsui for a moment and adjusted his glasses before speaking.

"Mitsui-kun…"

"Yes?"

Anzai looked past Mitsui towards Sakuragi, who was busy try to get his game legs back by going through an assortment of jumps around the bottom of the basket.

"I believe Miyagi-kun's earlier words were correct. Now is the time for Sakuragi-kun to train again. I mentioned this to Akagi-kun before… but Sakuragi-kun's learning ability is stupendous." Anzai paused, recalling how quickly Sakuragi had learned to have a useable jump shot before the start of last year's Inter-Highs.

"Shohoku technically has only two practices left before the playoffs begin," Anzai continued. "In this amount of time, Sakuragi-kun must not only remember all that he had learned previously, but improve upon them. I think, with proper guidance, he will be fully capable of returning to game shape."

Anzai directed his gaze back at Mitsui, obviously having elected Mitsui for the job. "Do you think you can teach him after practice? If there is a need for me to contact your parents, I'll—"

"I'll do it, sensei," Mitsui said, cutting off the coach and agreeing without any hesitation.

Anzai nodded and patted the tall shooter on the shoulder, grateful for Mitsui's help. "Thank you."

As Anzai started to walk off, Mitsui couldn't help but ask a question of his own. "Sensei…"

Anzai paused in mid-step and glanced over a chubby shoulder.

"Who are we playing first?"

Anzai's answer was but one-word.

"Ryonan."


	7. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday_.

**Chapter 6- Training, Revisited Part II**

While Mitsui had wandered off somewhere after his brief chat with Anzai, Sakuragi was busy practicing his free throws, oblivious to the fact that the other two were not on the court any longer.

With his upper body relaxed, his knees bent, and the ball down near his stomach, Sakuragi let fly with his unorthodox "granny-shot" release that mirrored that of the infamous Rick Barry. The shot instantly bricked and bounced back into Sakuragi's waiting hands.

"That's not right."

Sakuragi turned to see Mitsui walking over, a scowl on his face. In Mitsui's hands was a stats sheet that Ayako usually carried around with her—Sakuragi was instantly able to recognize it by the dark handwriting and how there were far more numbers than words on the paper.

Mitsui gestured towards two chairs that he had pulled out near center court. "Let's chat a bit."

Sakuragi walked over to the seats, his arms stuck stubbornly into his shorts due to the lack of pockets. He sat down without a word, expecting some sort of reprimanding from the vice-captain, given his stern look.

Mitsui hovered over the redhead, not taking a seat as he read from the stats sheet. "We keep statistics of all our official games and scrimmages, as you know. Anzai-sensei let me look through Ayako's documents and I did some tallys. Last year, you made three foul shots while attempting eleven in official matches. That means you made only about 27 percent of your free-throws," Mitsui glanced up to meet the redhead's bored gaze. "Do you know what that means?"

Sakuragi stared back blankly. "Genius…?"

Mitsui scoffed. "Hell no! Each missed free throw is a potential missed point. Do you remember the Kainan game? What did we lose by?"

Sakuragi remembered that horrible memory far too well. The formerly bored expression was quickly replaced by a glum, downcast look. "We lost by two points."

"That's right, the final score was 88-90. However, you shot five free throws in that game. You made two. If you had made them all…"

Sakuragi instantly understood where Mitsui was going with this. "We would have won by one point!"

Mitsui nodded. "And what kept us in the game, continued our offensive run, and kept the offensive pressure on Kainan?"

"This Tensai's basketball skills?"

Mitsui sighed, unsure if he wanted to even bother telling Sakuragi the real reason but eventually deciding to anyway. "Well, I guess part of the reason was strong defense… but there was another factor."

Mitsui met Sakuragi's eyes, making sure the redhead would catch the importance of what was trying to be conveyed.

"Kiyota's missed free throws."

"The stinky monkey?"

Mitsui allowed himself a wan smile at that. "Yeah, him. If he had made it… what would we have lost by?"

"…Four points."

"That's right, and in such a case, even if I had made the three at the end," Mitsui paused for a brief second, reflecting on this part bitterly, "we would have still lost the match."

Mitsui gave Sakuragi another look and was pleasantly surprised to see the redhead was listening very attentively now.

"So… if I can make free throws, we can win matches? Just like if I control the rebounds, our team will control the game?"

At this, Mitsui shook his head. "No. However, the greatest things that help teams win are defense, offense… and free throws. Of course, many other factors plays into this: team chemistry, personal skill, luck, and everything else. But, just as rebounds control the game," Mitsui qualified, knowing that he had to keep the redhead's interest, "free throws can determine the conclusion."

Mitsui set the stats sheet on the empty chair across from Sakuragi and wandered off to get a basketball, speaking the entire while.

"Free throws are also a weapon. Sendoh and Maki often charge into the basket to draw fouls for that extra three-point opportunity. Rukawa does this as well when his shot is not falling, and as you know, all three of those players make their free-throws at a very high percentage."

"Stupid fox," Sakuragi mumbled under his breath as soon as he heard his rival's name. Mitsui reached for the loose ball that Sakuragi had left behind and started walking back.

"An added free throw is extra points for the team. Even if you miss the shot, you'll get a chance to get the points you miss if you can draw the foul. Making the shot and drawing the foul is an extremely potent weapon. Also…"

Mitsui returned to the seats, ball at his hip. "Drawing fouls hurts the other team. If you get star players in foul trouble, you force them to leave the court, just like you did with Uozumi."

Sakuragi perked right back up as soon as Mitsui mentioned his name, his ego appropriately stroked. "Oh, you mean the Monkey King! I stopped him easily!"

"Yes. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Sakuragi rubbed his chin in thought. "You want me to dunk on all of them?"

"No, you dumbass!" Mitsui gave the redhead a quick wallop to the head before he dropped the ball at Sakuragi's feet. "We're going to shoot free throws. A lot of them. And hopefully, we'll make a good free throw shooter out of you yet. Now, let's go."

The two walked over to the nearest basket, Sakuragi mumbling complaints under his breath the entire way as he nursed the smoking bruise that Mitsui had left him.

"You shoot first, Sakuragi."

Sakuragi tentatively stepped up to the free-throw line and shot his odd looking free throw. However, unlike a few moments ago, this time the shot swished cleanly through the hoop.

Sakuragi burst into cocky laughter, whirling around to see Mitsui's expression. "See? Genius!"

Mitsui scratched the back of his head, trying to think of how to explain it now that Sakuragi had surprisingly made the shot instead of missing to prove the shooter's point.

"Not really. You may think that the end result is the only thing that matters. I can't blame you for that, since many basketball players think the same way and just randomly shoot, hoping for the best. That's not the case; in fact, that's self-defeating. It might not be as important in-game, because we'll always take whatever you can offer."

Mitsui chased down the loose ball before joining Sakuragi at the free-throw line, a bit off-center since the redhead was still standing at the typical free-throw shooting spot. Mitsui expertly assumed his standard free-shooting position: knees bent, ball up to his chest with his left hand gently supporting its side, his eyes focused on the rim.

"But I'll say this. If you never improve, you will lack stability in your success. This shot right here…" Mitsui shot the ball in one fluid motion and the ball softly snapped through the net. "...will go in the basket far more in the long run than yours."

"Are you sure?" Sakuragi asked, a cocky glint in his eye. Mitsui gave the redhead a brief smile, knowing the only way he would get Sakuragi to listen to him was to convince him.

"I've seen people with weirder shooting forms make a lot of shots. Who knows—you might be able to. But are you going to ignore Ayako's data and just leave today? Or do you want to shoot some free-throws?"

Sakuragi considered the words for a few moments, reaching down to pick up the loose ball that had rolled back over to the two. With a more humbled look on his face, Sakuragi gave Mitsui his answer by again taking a spot at the free-throw line, bending down into his odd shooting position once again.

"Stop!"

Mitsui instantly sidled up next to Sakuragi, grabbing one of his arms and forcibly bringing the redhead's hands back up to a typical shooting position.

"Your form is all wrong. Anzai-sensei taught you to shoot jump shots, right?"

Sakuragi grinned. "Yeah, and I've already improved on the skills!"

Mitsui offered the redhead a skeptical smile, obviously not believing the words since Sakuragi had been in rehab for so long.

"If that's the case, he surely should have taught you the key to shooting."

Sakuragi nodded enthusiastically, eager to share his wisdom. "The secret is in the legs, not the arms!"

Mitsui nodded. "Yes. Free throws are actually not much different: except they're even easier. You are shooting a set shot, which is like shooting a jump shot, except without the jump and without a defender in your face. Now, assume your jump shot position."

Sakuragi lifted the ball up, his wrist cocked, his left hand supporting the ball gently, shoulders squared, and his eyes still focused on the rim. Textbook shooting form.

"Very nice," Mitsui commented, stepping aside. "It's good to see you still remember. Now just shoot!"

Sakuragi promptly shot an air ball.

It took all of a second before the redhead threw a tantrum.

"What kind of teaching is this?!" Sakuragi shouted, advancing forward to throttle Mitsui. The lanky shooter dodged aside, laughing all the while.

"You completely forgot to use your legs, Hanamichi! You were standing like a statue." Mitsui went to fetch the ball and passed it back to Sakuragi.

"Now, shoot again… but remember what Anzai taught you. Your legs were locked up and you were basically just throwing the ball with your upper body rather than taking an actual shot. Do it slowly and lift onto your tip-toes. Just feel the ball go up and through your body."

Sakuragi pouted and fumed a bit longer before finally heeding Mitsui's advice about shooting. He bent his knees and readied himself, taking the time before he shot—and this time the ball hit the back of the rim. Mitsui chased down the rebound and shoveled a pass to the redhead so that Sakuragi wouldn't have to move form his spot.

Sakuragi went through the same motions again and released… but as soon as it left his hand, that sweet moment of realization that he had not felt in so long reached him.

_It's going in!_

The ball swished neatly through the net, leaving Sakuragi to laugh in sheer amazement, not just from making the shot, but from again remembering what it was like just to shoot properly.

Mitsui scooped the ball up, tilting his face away so that Sakuragi wouldn't see his surprise at the fluid mechanics of the last free-throw. _He really does still love basketball…_

"Good," Mitsui said curtly. He bounced the ball back to Sakuragi and made a brief shooting motion with his right wrist.

"For free throws, to become great at them will take nothing but sheer repetition. Any basketball player, even if they are not gifted, can shoot free throws well if they know the right way to do it. Depending on the person, some make up their own little free throw routine before shooting the ball or does some type of stance. Bouncing the ball a certain number of times, or twirling the ball, or whatever, is fine. The key is to get into a rhythm so your body knows that rhythm every time you shoot the free-throw."

Mitsui shrugged nonchalantly, pointing up toward the rim. "And that's what free throws should be for you… routine. The distance is always the same from there to the rim. It's nothing but an unguarded chance for a point."

Sakuragi nodded obediently and was about to shoot again before Mitsui abruptly clapped his hands together, creating a loud enough crack to startle the redhead and throw the shot way off course.

"What the hell, Micchi?!" Sakuragi roared, displeased at the shooter disrupting his concentration. Mitsui only gave Sakuragi a long stare, not in the least intimidated by the much bigger player.

"I was just illustrating another point for you. Free throws are also a mental thing. Some players can't make free throws because they don't believe in themselves, question themselves, or are distracted by others. Just like you were."

Mitsui paced towards the redhead, tossing the rebound back into Sakuragi's hands.

"There's lots of stuff going on in the game and the crowd might disrupt you. None of that matters. Even Rukawa had enough faith in his mechanics to shoot free-throws with his eyes closed. You know why? It's because the more you do them, the more your body adjusts to the exact form you use to make them. Don't rush the free throw, but don't take too long considering the shot or start second-guessing yourself. Just do it naturally."

Sakuragi stared at the ball in his hands, slapping it a few times, trying to once again get the feel of it back. Trying to remember when this small orange thing was like an extension of his body.

"All right, Micchi. I'll try."

"Good." Mitsui motioned behind Sakuragi. "I'll be practicing over there, so if you need me just holler. I want you to make one hundred free throws before you leave today. I'll stay until you have done so."

While Mitsui walked away from the redhead, Sakuragi gazed up at the rim and shot again. It missed, but Sakuragi could feel it would come up short as soon as it left his hand. That was a slight form of victory in itself, he thought.

Sakuragi went to fetch the ball, grinning the entire while. He couldn't wait to show everyone how his training would pay off.


	8. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Author's Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on Fanfiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Chapter 7- Renewal**

"98!"

Sakuragi heaved a sigh of exhaustion as he went to fetch the ball yet again. His brilliant free-throw start had spiraled into disaster—he was only making about one out of every six free-throws he took now, which was only slightly better than his typical percentage. In addition to the lowered morale and poor shooting, by the 50th free throw he felt a heavy sense of fatigue in his arms—something he had not experienced in quite some time.

Despite all these tribulations, he had gotten his second wind and was able to keep going. Mitsui had ambled over a few times to check on his progress, but otherwise was just off on the other side of the court doing… whatever.

_Don't have time to care about him now_, Sakuragi thought as he went back to the foul line. _Just two more and I can rest…_

With a quick flick of the wrist, he shot another free-throw with nearly textbook shooting mechanics. But when the clang of the ball bouncing off the front rim announced the result of his shot, Sakuragi collapsed onto his knees.

_Can't keep this up… my strength…_ Sakuragi's hands shot to his recovered back, which still throbbed with a dull ache if he overextended himself. _I took too much time off exercise… even getting into some fights would have kept me in shape…_

At this point, Sakuragi unknowingly was reliving the hell that Mitsui had lived through upon his return to basketball: the lack of stamina that handicapped the fighting determination within his heart. Sakuragi was thinking the exact same words Mitsui had thought before, with the same amount of bitterness:

_I wasted so much time…_

"Hey, you okay?"

Mitsui's uncharacteristically concerned voice floated to his ears, the shooting guard now at the redhead's side. Mitsui knelt and placed a hand on Sakuragi's shoulder, his other arm cradling a basketball.

"Oi, is your back still hurting? Need a break?"

"Haha! Yeah right, Micchi!" Sakuragi laughed loudly, his stubbornness and pride preventing him from acknowledging his exhaustion. "To a commoner like you, this would probably be too much! But for a Tensai like me—"

Mitsui wasn't fooled for a second. "How many left? You look beat."

Sakuragi motioned towards the ball weakly, ignoring the question. Mitsui sighed, both admiring the redhead for his tenacity but also appalled at his stubbornness (though Mitsui himself was equally prideful).

"Hey, I'll get the rebounds for you until you finish. How about that? I'm getting a bit tired myself."

Sakuragi managed a nod and without further words, Mitsui grabbed Sakuragi's arm and hauled him back to a standing position. The vice-captain dropped off the ball he had been using for the redhead while he went off to get the other loose ball. Sakuragi gathered himself and turned his gaze back towards the basket, the pain no longer evident on his face as he tried to concentrate.

The free throw missed.

Mitsui caught the rebound and shot another pass right back to Sakuragi. The process repeated as Sakuragi caught, shot, and missed again.

Mitsui considered Sakuragi for a while, not immediately passing the ball back this time as sweat poured down the redhead's face. "You know, maybe we should—"

"Pass it!"

Mitsui blinked in surprise at the unexpectedly authoritative voice from Sakuragi. The redhead held his hands out expectantly and Mitsui obliged, once again bouncing the ball off to Sakuragi. The ball lifted into the air seconds after and this time, it rattled around the rim but managed to drop through.

"How many more, Sakuragi?" Mitsui asked again.

"Just one more," Sakuragi mumbled, his hands out. Mitsui managed a wan smile, a part of him very pleased to see that Sakuragi was still so into basketball and still had a strong work ethic.

The ball once again reached Sakuragi and the free throw clanged back out seconds later, signaling another miss.

"Damn!" Sakuragi gasped, wiping the sweat from the sides of his face with the back of his arm. Mitsui waited patiently for Sakuragi to motion for the ball again before he passed it off. The next free-throw swished through the net smoothly, and Mitsui couldn't help but nod in approval.

"Good work."

Sakuragi collapsed into a sitting position on the floor, then simply gave up and fell onto his back, this time accepting and giving into his exhaustion.

Mitsui stared blankly at the sleeping Sakuragi and sighed. There went the chance of leaving early.

* * *

The soft patter of a ball against the gym floor woke Sakuragi up from his brief nap. With a loud yawn, he lethargically pushed himself to a sitting position, still a bit groggy. He looked around, blinking the sleep from his eyes.

What had woken the redhead was Mitsui at the other end of the court, still shooting jumpers. It had been a very long time since Sakuragi had an opportunity to see Mitsui's shot again. He watched Mitsui shoot with new appreciation, the lingering memories of his intense jump shot training with Anzai and his friends springing to mind.

Mitsui's form was beautiful as ever—it never changed from shot to shot. Natural but consistent. It wasn't just textbook: it was almost like art. Sakuragi couldn't help but admire it and found himself with a renewed sense of vigor.

As if he had felt the eyes on his back, Mitsui stopped dribbling and turned.

"Awake?"

Sakuragi slowly bent himself back into a sitting position. "What time is it?"

"Dunno." Mitsui walked over to his bag, crouching low to fumble with some of the zippers. In a matter of moments he pulled out a watch and took a quick glance at it. "10:16."

"Oh," Sakuragi said without emotion, not particularly concerned that it had gotten so late. However, he had classes tomorrow, so—

It was something he almost chuckled at. Him, of all people, remembering that he had classes. It truly had been a long time since his return.

"We've done enough today." Mitsui stood back up, slinging his bag over a shoulder before shooting Sakuragi an impatient glare. None of his earlier admiration or concern for the redhead was present now. "Stop sitting there and let's get going."

Sakuragi pushed himself up and started for the exit, wobbling the entire way. Mitsui held the door open for him and the two mumbled a goodbye. As Sakuragi stalked off into the night, Mitsui couldn't help but look back into the empty gym and smile.

Things were about to get exciting again.

Mitsui snapped off the gym lights and Shohoku's basketball gym fell back into a slumber.

* * *

"Afternoon!"

A loud, slightly annoying yell echoed throughout the gym as Sakuragi sauntered into the gym, greeting the other players with a grin. Mitsui was the first to sigh in exasperation.

"Surprised you're alive," Mitsui said sardonically, though he really wasn't. Sakuragi had always been some sort of monster when it came to recovery and stamina and whatever exhaustion Sakuragi had felt from yesterday wasn't evident.

Sakuragi thumped his chest, chortling with self-bravado. "No problem for this Tensai!"

Miyagi instantly appeared at Mitsui's side, a stern look on his face. "You're very late."

Sakuragi scratched the back of his head embarrassingly. "Just taking it a bit slower, Ryo-chin! I showed up, right?"

"You get into trouble with the teachers again?"

"None of your business."

"It would have been better if you didn't come at all," Rukawa interjected, the Shohoku ace not even turning to face the three as he continued to shoot jumpers to warm-up.

"What'd you say?" Sakuragi turned on the fox, about to throttle him. Undeterred, Rukawa shot a blank glance over his shoulder.

"You are a loser."

"Hey, break it up you kids!"

Appearing from seemingly nowhere, Ayako's fan interrupted the scuffle before it even began, slapping both of them over the top of their heads.

Sakuragi and Rukawa were instantly each huddled in a separate corner of the gym, nursing the welt forming on their heads.

Hiroshi, who was still not used to the way the Shohoku players interacted with each other, could only chuckle softly to himself while he tightened his shoelaces.

Miyagi rubbed his temples in frustration. With Sakuragi back, he would need to start accounting for more headaches, it seemed.

"Let's just start practice guys."

* * *

Practice went smoothly. It concluded with another set of scrimmages, this time a 5 on 5 of starters mixed with other players that would potentially be put into an official match. Hiroshi sat out of the scrimmage this time around, instead spending time with Ayako to study Shohoku's offensive and defensive plays so he would easily integrate into the team if Anzai gave him a chance to play.

Out of curiosity, during a break between one of the scrimmages Miyagi pulled Ayako aside to check on the rookie's progress. Hiroshi was oblivious as he continued to flip through Ayako's notes, lost in thought.

"He's almost done."

"Done with the first couple of plays?"

Ayako shook her head. "No. Almost done with the entire playbook."

Miyagi's eyes widened in shock. The only other people he could recall picking up the Shohoku playbook so quickly was himself and Rukawa.

"He's certainly very knowledgeable. Especially about the defensive sets," Ayako added, handing Miyagi one of her scribbles. "When I showed him one of the defensive plays from last year, he corrected it without prompting. See this one? Those are his suggestions."

"Right. Those are the same corrections we decided to make after the Aiwa game," Miyagi remembered, after a quick glance at the contents. When he glanced up again to Ayako, he was greeted with a radiant, excited expression on his crush's face.

"The other teams aren't going to know what hit them," Ayako beamed.

Miyagi couldn't help but return that smile.

Anzai-sensei had shown up briefly, and although he offered nothing new for the players, he approved of Miyagi's decision to let the players work out a bit later than usual in preparation for the upcoming match. Still, it wasn't long before the practice broke up once again and all the players returned home… with the exception of Mitsui and Sakuragi.

"Listen up."

Mitsui shot a chest pass to Sakuragi, both of them still sweaty from the practice and scrimmages earlier.

"I was keeping track. Your teams lost to Rukawa's every single scrimmage."

"Stupid fox," Sakuragi grumbled, smacking the ball between his palms. "He's lucky I always go so easy on him."

"You're not back to your normal self yet, I'll give you that," Mitsui nodded, though no one would believe Sakuragi had gone easy on Rukawa on any of those scrimmages. "For today you're going to shoot ten free throws first. Afterwards, work on your layups—fifty for your right hand, and fifty for your left hand. Then do fifty jumpers, and we'll conclude with fifty free throws. And by shoot, I mean make. You don't leave until you meet your quota."

Sakuragi looked vacantly at Mitsui, not realizing just how much work that actually was.

"Oh? Is that enough?"

Mitsui's fist came crashing down on Sakuragi's head in response.

"Are you dense? It probably wouldn't be enough for someone that can actually _make_ his shots, but for you, technically the amount of shots you're actually doing is probably triple or even quadruple the amount I'm giving you! Plus, we just had practice! Now get to work!"

Sakuragi stalked off to his workout regiment, a lump already visible on his head.

* * *

Mitsui stumbled over to the bench, barely managing to make it before he collapsed into a heap. He was slow to catch his breath, the vice-captain clearly having practiced a bit too long as he fumbled to get the cap off a bottle of Pocari Sweat. The duo had been practicing for hours and Mitsui felt like his legs were about to give at any moment. Neither he nor Sakuragi had taken a break, both too absorbed in their training.

While he guzzled fluids, Mitsui kept a careful eye on Sakuragi, who was taking his final round of free throws. There didn't appear to be _too_ much improvement in the amount of tries it took for Sakuragi to make his free-throws, but Sakuragi's form was definitely smooth and practiced now despite having learned how to shoot properly only a day ago. In addition, Sakuragi had finished his practice assignment much sooner than Mitsui had anticipated—Sakuragi had only just recently returned to basketball, after all. All of these facts filled Mitsui with a strange sort of awe—it was no wonder Anzai had pinned great hopes on these nightly workout sessions having a big effect on the redhead.

"How many more?" Mitsui called, wiping sweat off his forehead with the back of his arm.

"Just six more!" Sakuragi yelled back before he promptly missed another shot.

Mitsui leaned back against the bench and laid down, his left arm over his closed eyes and the right gripping his Pocari Sweat bottle. He sighed with fatigue and discontent.

Even with Sakuragi's return to form, Mitsui's only true feeling was this: there just wasn't enough time to get ready for the Ryonan match.


	9. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Author's Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating this wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Chapter 8 - Roots**

"Damn fox!"

Sakuragi could only swear in frustration as Rukawa threw in another corner jumper. The scores were now 14-12, Rukawa's team leading.

It was another day of practice for the Shohoku team. For the first time, the 3 on 3 scrimmages had been extended into a full-court setting to force the players to run more up and down the court. Also for the first time, the scores between Sakuragi's team and Rukawa's team was relatively close; Sakuragi was finally finding his rhythm and remembering where to move on the basketball court. His nose for the ball was once again making all the difference, as no one else on the opposing team could get rebounds quite like him. But his improved performance had also awakened Rukawa, who out of personal pride, would never want to lose to anyone and especially not to Sakuragi.

Hiroshi was the first to the loose ball, quickly taking it out of bounds and tossing it back into play.

"Shouldn't be a problem," Hiroshi said easily, unconcerned.

Sakuragi burst into a confident grin, agreeing with Hiroshi's words.

"Of course not, Hiro! Not with this Tensai on the team!" he chortled, already having assigned a nickname to the new rookie.

Hiroshi returned Sakuragi's smile, the first-year starting to adjust to his teammate's idiosyncrasies. Sakuragi handled the ball downcourt, with Rukawa not even bothering to guard the redhead despite the likelihood that the ball could easily be stolen. Rukawa was instead catching his breath, hands on his hips as he waited for his rival to approach.

Mitsui motioned for the ball as soon as Sakuragi crossed half-court, not unaware of Rukawa's generosity. In spite of their differences, Mitsui knew that Rukawa was also the type that would want Sakuragi to return to form as quickly as possible.

"Here Micchi!" Sakuragi announced loudly as he shot a pass to the shooter. Mitsui instantly focused on his opponent: the crafty Miyagi, who was already bodying up the taller player.

_Shit, he's guarding me too tight!_ Mitsui thought, trying to get some space to shoot. His eyes danced around the court and focused on Hiroshi, who was camping out at the corner of the three-point arc. Near the freshman was Yasuda, though the senior was keeping a cautious eye on the basket, expecting Mitsui to take the shot.

Making a snap judgment, Mitsui put the ball on the floor and began to force his way in. While Miyagi was able to keep pace, Mitsui's larger build made it easier for him to power his way straight down the lane. As he expected, Rukawa and Yasuda were both quick to collapse on him to prevent him from getting a layup.

"Micchi! Pass to me!" Sakuragi shouted, motioning from somewhere behind Rukawa. Not wanting to risk a pass over the athletic Rukawa, Mitsui instead shot an overhead pass to Hiroshi.

_Let's see how far your shooting range actually is…_

Before the thought even finished crossing Mitsui's mind, Hiroshi had already shot the three. The ball almost soundlessly slipped through the net instead of making a resounding swish. 14-14.

_Even better than I thought,_ Mitsui silently assessed, pleased. Sakuragi was quick to make his way to his other two teammates as they transitioned back to defense.

"Yeah! Great job, commoners!" Sakuragi slapped hands with his teammates, delighted that the teams were now tied. "Let's get a stop here!"

"Who're you calling a commoner, punk," Mitsui grumbled under his breath.

In spite of the opposing team's comeback, Miyagi calmly dribbled upcourt. After crossing the half-court line he snapped a pass to Yasuda. Yasuda in turn passed to Rukawa, who pivoted in place to meet the eyes of his defender: Hiroshi.

Rukawa's shoulders tensed and he jerked his arm to the side just slightly, making a fake towards the basket. Hiroshi only continued to stare at Rukawa's midsection, ignoring the other movements. Seeing that Hiroshi was not giving any ground, Rukawa jabbed a step forward, anticipating that Hiroshi would react. Instead the rookie continued to stay in defensive position, his eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Whoa, nice defense!" the other Shohoku players commented, enjoying a break to observe the match.

Rukawa shot a pass back out to Miyagi before he made a hard cut for the basket. This time Hiroshi sprung into action, managing to just keep pace with the Shohoku ace. While he backpedaled, Hiroshi kept one long arm out to try and block a return pass from Miyagi. This proved for naught, however, as Miyagi's passing was extremely precise—Rukawa gave Hiroshi a small bump with his shoulder, just enough to get a tiny bit of space for the pinpoint pass. Whirling around, Rukawa set his feet and launched into the air for the jump shot. Hiroshi managed to recover and bring a hand to Rukawa's face to try and disrupt the shot. This was a trivial distraction for the star player and the ball swished through the bottom of the net, ending the match at 15-14.

Hiroshi heaved a sigh, disappointed. "Sorry guys, I guess I shouldn't have played him that tight."

Mitsui used the neck of his practice shirt to wipe off the sweat on his face, speaking up. "Just keep at it. Your awareness is getting better."

_Quicker than any of us expected,_ Mitsui thought, keeping his real assessment of Hiroshi to himself. _Even if Rukawa still isn't playing you at his full strength, you're doing a better defensive job than you used to... and better than any of the past recruits have._

Sakuragi obviously wasn't as forgiving.

"What are you doing? I could have stopped that fox easily!" Sakuragi laughed, full of self-bravado. He draped an arm over Hiroshi's shoulder, continuing to his self-praise. "That fox would have never even had the opportunity to shoot!"

Hiroshi smiled weakly. "Yeah. I have a lot to learn."

A faint clap caught the attention of the Shohoku players. Everyone turned to see Anzai slowing approaching the group, the coach also having watched the entire game, but with a more critical eye than the others.

"Very good," Anzai concluded, giving his players a soft smile.

"Isn't it, old man?" Sakuragi chortled. In an instant, he appeared at the coach's side and started pulling on Anzai's double chin. "We did great, right? How about cutting that punk Rukawa from the team, hm?"

"Quit it, you bastard!" Mitsui shouted, peeling the redhead off the older man and again saving Anzai from further abuse.

Anzai didn't mind his rough-up and instead readjusted his glasses in response. His voice took on a serious tone. "Shohoku…"

Everyone stood at attention, listening carefully to their mentor's words. Anzai placed a hand on Sakuragi's shoulder as he continued to speak.

"With the return of Sakuragi-kun… now is the time for Shohoku to regain its form. We have compromised one important thing long enough, as you all know."

Anzai's gaze scanned across his players, meeting each of their eyes briefly to make sure they understood. "You have all shown me your outstanding offensive abilities. It is what brought us this far. But it is not all we possess."

His eyes finally settled on a specific group of three players that had never left the club since the legendary Sannoh match: Miyagi, Mitsui, and Rukawa.

"We had to make some compromises. But no longer. Abandon the idea of conserving energy on defense. Now is the time to truly show everyone Shohoku's defensive strength is equal to that of their offensive ability. I entrust you three with setting that example for the rest of the team."

Everyone fell into a deep silence. Anzai nodded, knowing that his message was clear. He turned and headed for the gym doors, making to leave.

"Rest up tonight, all of you. Tomorrow will be a trying day. But it will be even more trying for those that will play us," he added, saying just the right words to boost morale.

After Anzai left through the double-doors of the gym, everyone turned to the captain Miyagi for further instruction.

Miyagi held his hands up helplessly, feeling there was nothing that needed to be said after that.

"Well, you heard Sensei. Practice adjourned. Get some sleep and let's get a win tomorrow, guys!"

The players cheered in agreement before dispersing, everyone packing up their belongings. Mitsui and Sakuragi remained motionless, glum looks on their faces.

It wasn't yet their time to leave. They had planned the training of hell tonight and were not looking forward to it.

* * *

It went by all too quickly.

"DONE!" Sakuragi laughed in exhaustion, heaving the ball toward the ceiling. Mitsui also couldn't help but grin, seeing the innocent, raw joy on the redhead's face.

_He really gave it his all,_ Mitsui thought, jogging off to fetch the loose ball. _He's just about reached the competency level he had before the injury in only three days._

Mitsui had actually made a chart specifically for today's workout. Sakuragi was to first shoot ten free throws, and then work on one-hundred shots under the basket before doing fifty lay-ups per hand. Afterwards, he had assisted in grabbing rebounds from Mitsui's missed shots for a while to get a feel for rebounding again. Following that, it was one hundred more jumpers, fifty more layups each hand, and fifty more free throws. Bluntly, Sakuragi had completely worn himself out and if not for his miraculous stamina, Mitsui was sure that he wouldn't have completed the workout after the one from the previous two days.

Mitsui had kept a watchful eye on him at the beginning to make sure Sakuragi was doing everything with the proper shooting form. But there had been no need: the redhead was taking his form just as seriously as Mitsui had told him to and so Mitsui had left him alone for most of the extra practice session.

Sakuragi shot a cocky grin at Mitsui, holding a fist up. "Hey, Micchi. This Tensai still remembers it all."

Mitsui gave him a smile of his own.

"You do," he agreed easily, knowing that would please the redhead. "So let's be sure to surprise all of them tomorrow at the match."

Sakuragi nodded enthusiastically, fully confident in himself.

"This Tensai will make them regret it if they foul me!"

With nothing left to do, the two began silently gathering their things. Sakuragi's school attendance was better than it had previously been, much to the surprise of his teachers and students. Sakuragi still slacked off, but Miyagi had agreed to tutor him to the point where he could get caught up. Miyagi wasn't much of a student, but he was the ablest out of the Shohoku's basketball team currently. It was likely to impress Ayako, Mitsui had decided long ago.

The Sakuragi Army, now fully reunited with their leader, had all promised to attend the game tomorrow. And now with Haruko as a manageress, Sakuragi had shown great strides in his concentration level during practices.

With their belongings secured, Mitsui shut off the gym lights and stepped out into the cool night air. It was already almost midnight and the high school was quiet.

As he locked the door behind him, he turned to see the redhead still milling around instead of immediately taking off.

"Need anything else, Sakuragi?"

Sakuragi shook his head, but looked as if he had something more to say. Mitsui continued to stare at the redhead, expectant.

"How'd the team do for the Winter Cup?" Sakuragi finally asked, straightforward as usual.

Mitsui heaved a frustrated sigh, remembering their poor performance.

"We got beat up. Didn't even qualify. It was too hard for us to get the single qualifying slot."

"It would have been different with this Tensai playing!"

Mitsui fell silent upon those words, taking it more seriously than he probably should have.

"We're glad to have you back," Mitsui finally said, noncommittal. It was true that Shohoku was lucky to have Rukawa—but him alone was simply not enough. Not if they wanted to conquer the nation.

Akagi was the soul of Shohoku, the roots supporting everything. Losing him was losing more than a post presence. It was as if things just couldn't stay together, no matter how hard the others had tried. Maybe it was because no one else could understand—what it had been like for Akagi to struggle to bring Shohoku out of mediocrity. No one else had poured so much heart into the team.

Except for maybe one another.

Shohoku needed Sakuragi too, Mitsui realized grudgingly. More than anyone would care to admit.

The conversation now at an end, Sakuragi gave Mitsui a curt nod goodbye. Mitsui returned it and Sakuragi turned on his heel, walking off into the night.

"Sakuragi."

Sakuragi stopped, not bothering to turn.

"Yeah, Micchi?"

"Let's beat Ryonan down tomorrow."

Sakuragi grinned in the darkness.

"With this Tensai now here, you don't even have to worry."

* * *

**Author's Commentary:** Sakuragi's quick return to basketball form is partly based off of experiences with my father. He used to shoot around a bit with me. I remembered the first time I played with him he told me he hadn't played since his pre-college years… at the time, that was over thirty years ago for him. And yet it only took him about half an hour to warm up and play very well. Each time I played with him afterwards, he seemed better and better. He gave up after about a month due to his age but I always remember thinking that basketball skills never wear off and it just needs to be revisited, like memories that are often buried but can eventually be recovered. I think it's the same with other sports as well and I hope that any readers that want to revisit a sport you gave up, do so—it's something worth doing.


	10. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Author's Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Chapter 9 - Starters**

"Haruko-chan!"

Haruko glanced over her shoulder, brushing some unruly bangs from her vision as she locked on to the familiar voice. Youhei Mito, along with the rest of the Sakuragi Army, were steadily making their way down the steps of the Ryonan gym. Haruko's face stretched into an ecstatic smile.

"Youhei-kun!" Haruko squealed in delight, glad to see Sakuragi's best friend. During Sakuragi's long lay-off, Youhei had been her most reliable source of information in regards to the redhead's status. The Sakuragi Army had not attended a basketball game since Sakuragi's hospitalization, so to see the former basketball (or more specifically, Sakuragi) enthusiasts back filled her with great joy. She didn't know how much she had missed them until now.

"The Sakuragi Army at your service, once again!" Youhei grinned, the other three members of the gang doing likewise.

The Sakuragi Army squeezed into a row behind Haruko. The Shohoku manageress was with her friends, Matsui and Fujii, the trio of girls tight-knit as always. The Ryonan gym was nearly full—that the Sakuragi Army had found seats so close to their acquaintances was fortunate.

"You guys made it in time. There's just so many people," Fujii gushed, glancing around in awe at the sheer volume of bodies that had been crammed into the stadium.

"Most are Ryonan supporters," Matsui added sourly, pointing to the group of girls holding up signs extolling Ryonan and Sendoh Akira, the star player of the team. In fact, there appeared to be miniature fan-clubs for every single Ryonan player, and the mostly-female audience was truly a sight to behold.

"I'm so excited about Sakuragi-kun's return!" Haruko said excitedly, clasping her hands together in her lap. Youhei could only chuckle at her enthusiasm, partly in disbelief that even till now Haruko didn't seem to have any sense about how many people Sakuragi would go through to hear those words straight from her mouth.

"It's going to be an exciting game, right?" Noma Chuuichirou asked rhetorically, his moustache still making him stand out among the group. He reclined in his seat, nodding towards Haruko in greeting.

"If Hanamichi plays, it will be _very_ exciting," Ookusu Yuuji laughed, brushing back his mop of blonde hair with his left hand and giving Noma a good-natured shove with the other.

"And if it's not, we'll be sure to make him hear it," Takamiya Nozomi said, lifting up bottles that were designed to be makeshift amplifiers from behind his large gut. The girls giggled at his idea, all of them remembering how Sakuragi had played when he had first started basketball.

"Well, most of the gang is here. But what about Nori?" Youhei asked, casually taking in his surroundings. Nori Hotto, the former gangster and delinquent-turned-fan of Mitsui's, was still nowhere to be seen.

"Nori-kun? Don't worry about him, he shows up for every single Shohoku game as long as Mitsui is there." Haruko giggled just thinking of the unlikely Shohoku supporter.

Just as she finished speaking a hush surrounded the group. Haruko and the others glanced over their shoulders to see a small crowd of hoodlums descending the steps of the gym, their threatening presence having silenced all the fans nearby due to their appearance alone.

Nori, leading the group, stopped in the aisle and gave Haruko and the others a threatening glare.

"These seats are awful," Nori commented. "I don't even have a place to put my cheering flag. It's a new one, too."

Haruko merely smiled in return; unlike the rest of the crowd, she knew that Nori meant none of the others any real harm despite his prickly attitude.

"Haven't changed, have you?" Youhei sighed, locking his fingers behind his head. Nori gave Youhei a dismissive snort.

"If it isn't you punks. Where have you lot been?"

"Busy," Noma said curtly, though anyone that knew the Sakuragi Army could easily figure that was an outright lie. The Sakuragi Army was known for their slacker ways as much as their fighting prowess.

"Too bad for you. Mitsui's three-pointers have been in top form this year," Nori said, hoisting his flag up towards the rafters. Everyone in the vicinity was now watchingthe group of Shohoku supporters, though the attention was clearly unwanted as Ookusu and Takamiya covered their face in embarrassment at Nori's antics. "This is the year to conquer the nation!"

Haruko and Youhei shot a discreet look at each other and chuckled quietly, filled with nostalgia at just the mere mentioning of those words.

"And why aren't you at the benches, Haruko-chan?" Youhei asked casually, remembering Haruko's title as co-manageress.

"Oh, I set up the video camera to take film of the match. And… I just like it better up here."

"Couldn't you take film where the other players are? You're with the team, after all. You might even be able to get us closer seats," Takmiya spoke up. Haruko managed a wan smile at that, looking uncomfortable.

"Well. Maybe some other time," she said quietly. The Sakuragi Army detected a bit of unhappiness in her voice and dropped the subject, unaware of the reasons behind Haruko's negative feelings about being near the court. The ragtag group of Shohoku supporters, now whole again, looked eagerly towards the court and waited for their favorite team to take the floor.

Matsui took a glance at her watch. "Looks like-"

* * *

"-the match's starting soon," Miyagi observed, glancing away from the clock on the wall. He looked wearily around at the other Shohoku players, trying to calm to butterflies in his stomach.

In part he was nervous because it was an important game. Shoyo and Kainan had again made the Top 4, meaning that those two teams, along with Shohoku and Ryonan, were fighting for the two seats to represent Kanagawa in the Nationals. Shoyo was not the same team it had been, now that Fujima had left. Miyagi was confident that if Shohoku beat Ryonan today, securing one of the spots to the Nationals would be simple. But if Shohoku lost today they would be forced to go up against Kainan in a must-win game.

Another part of his nervousness stemmed from knowledge of Ryonan. Ryonan was a rival team, perhaps one Shohoku's greatest. Miyagi wasn't completely sure what to expect—undoubtedly Ryonan had improved greatly since their last matches during winter.

And Sendoh Akira was _always_ a problem.

"Where's Anzai-sensei?" Miyagi mumbled, trying to distract himself from his troubling thoughts.

"Maybe he went to eat something?" Sakuragi suggested innocently. Sakuragi was standing at the entranceway of the lockers and was tugging on his black and red Nike Air Jordans from last year, completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere. Mitsui shifted nervously in his seat on the nearby bench, the veteran player still jittery as always before a match.

"Shut up," Mitsui shot back, defending his favorite coach.

Rukawa was lacing up his shoes next to the vice-captain, outwardly calm and focused. Nonetheless, everyone could sense the competitive fire burning behind his cold gaze. Sendoh, one of the few players that Rukawa genuinely respected, would certainly be a match for the Shohoku star. The prospect of doing battle with one of his greatest foes always seemed to fire up Rukawa a bit more than usual.

Hiroshi, on the other hand, carried a blank expression and was sitting on the floor with his back propped against one of the lockers. The freshman didn't know what to expect and thus seemed serene. He watched the other players suiting up in silence, taking the time to review Shohoku's game plays in his head.

Sakuragi, who had stripped down to his boxers, suddenly realized he was missing an important part of his attire.

"Hey, where's my jersey?" Sakuragi wondered belatedly as he scanned his surroundings.

Mitsui heaved a sigh. "Most people decide what to wear before they put shoes on."

"Did we have a jersey for him, Aya-chan?" Miyagi interjected before Sakuragi could throw a tantrum.

Ayako, who was busy checking her medical supplies, motioned over to a cardboard box sitting in the corner of the room. "I brought the jersey. It's over there, Sakuragi."

The redhead strode over to the box and yanked out the only remaining article of clothing in there. Upon seeing the digits sewn onto the jersey, however, he was quick to throw a fit.

"Number 14? Why am I behind the fox in numbers?"

Rukawa, now wearing #8, stared blankly at Sakuragi. The answer should be obvious, Rukawa's eyes said.

"It's because you're a very late addition. Hiroshi was the last to join before you. And as you can see, he's number 13," Miyagi explained, nodding over towards the freshman. "We can't do anything about it. That's just the way things are."

"At least give me back number 10. Who has my number 10?" Sakuragi glanced around the room, trying to find the culprit. The unlucky winner was Kentaro, who nervously pushed up his glasses upon being recognized.

"Switch!" Sakuragi demanded, advancing on his victim. "You can have Rukawa's smelly #8 instead. The fox can have my number 14!"

"Stop making a big deal out of this—" Mitsui looked up just in time to see Sakuragi having already tugged the jersey off Kentaro, holding up his familiar number 10 overhead in triumph.

"Okay! Here you go, fox." Sakuragi heaved the number 14 jersey over to Rukawa, who simply tilted his body just enough so the uniform would make no contact with him. "We do numbers based on seniority and talent, remember? And I'm far ahead of you in talent!"

Rukawa refused to even grace Sakuragi with a reply, which made the redhead all the more upset. Sensing that hell was about to break loose, Miyagi strode over to Sakuragi, picking up Ayako's roster off one of the benches and thrusting it in Sakuragi's face.

"Look here, idiot! There aren't any numbers to fit you in, even if you wanted."

Sakuragi narrowed his eyes, scanning the sheet's contents. The entire Shohoku roster was neatly laid out in Ayako's beautiful handwriting, by number:

Miyagi Ryota #4 – 3rd year

Mitsui Hisashi #5 – 3rd year

Yasuda Yasuharu #6 – 3rd year

Kakuta Satoru #7 - 3rd year

Rukawa Kaede #8 – 2nd year

Kuwata Toki #9 – 2nd year

Kentaro Ishii #10 – 2nd year

Satoro Sasaoka #11 – 2nd year

Yamasaki Naruhiko # 12 – 1st year

"Kazuo" Hiroshi #13 – 1st year

Sakuragi gave Miyagi a confused look. "I don't get it."

"It means that you should take #14 and stop making a fuss!"

"Um…"

The arguing duo glanced over at Kentaro, who had managed to recover somewhat from the shock of having his jersey stolen from him.

"I don't mind if Sakuragi-senpai wants the jersey. He'll be playing a lot more than me, anyway," Kentaro said, giving Sakuragi a shaky smile.

"Well said, commoner #1!" Sakuragi chortled, slapping Kentaro on the back and sending the other player into a coughing fit. He turned to face Satoro, the other benchwarmer and the person that had inherited Rukawa's number from last summer. "Commoner #2, trade your number with the fox if he's so against wearing #14."

"But he's already ahead of me in minutes and in number," Satoro observed, nervous that the far larger Sakuragi now had his sights on him. Sakuragi frowned.

"He's not ahead of _me_ though. So he has to get a lower number than #10. You can take his #8 instead."

Miyagi could already feel a headache start to brew, having to deal with the redhead. "Stop making decisions on your own. You got your old jersey back already."

Sakuragi crossed his arms across his chest, steadfast about his decision. "If the fox doesn't want to wear #14 then he'll have to pick another number."

"I've had enough of this. Drop the issue or I'll make sure to tell Anzai that you shouldn't get a second on the court," Miyagi threatened, at the limits of his patience. Since Akagi's departure Miyagi had grown into his role as captain, knowing that he had to stand his own ground when he needed to.

Sakuragi faltered somewhat. "The old man wouldn't do that."

"Give it a rest already, Sakuragi," Mitsui spoke up, getting involved in the conversation. "We have to be sure to show them the results of your secret training."

Seeing that Sakuragi was still not quite ready to give up, Ayako heaved a sigh and sidled up next to Rukawa. The ace player glanced up, giving Ayako his attention. The manageress put on her best puppy-dog face and held up one hand in a pleading gesture.

"Rukawa, could you please just this once let it slide? It'll stop those boys from fighting."

"I don't see why I have to be the one," Rukawa said quietly. He gave Sakuragi a look. "We don't need him to play anyway."

"I'll crush you, fox!"

"As a favor to me. I…" Ayako suddenly had an idea. "I'll give you a spare set of keys to the gym that you can use on Sundays, too."

Rukawa's eyes widened, just enough for Ayako to know that she had struck the right chord with him. He pondered over this deal for no more than a few seconds before getting to his feet with a resigned sigh. Ayako discreetly flashed Miyagi a thumbs-up as Rukawa strode over to Satoro, stripping off his #8 jersey as he approached the other player.

"Let's trade," Rukawa offered, holding the jersey out with one arm.

"Uh… right!" Satoro took off the #11 jersey and handed it off to the star player. Rukawa's face remained blank as he got re-dressed.

"Give the keys to me before practice on Fridays," Rukawa instructed Ayako as he pushed his arms through the uniform, again sporting his familiar #11 jersey,

"Got it," Ayako smiled, heaving an internal sigh of relief that the situation had been resolved.

Sakuragi had a smug grin on his face, now that Rukawa had been knocked down a peg.

"Ha ha! The Tensai has returned and the fox is back to where he belongs!" Sakuragi celebrated, tugging on his jersey and donning his old number. "All the rebounds will be mine!"

Rukawa sighed again, brushing past the redhead and returning to his spot on the bench. Miyagi gave Kentaro and Satoro an apologetic look, feeling that the entire situation had been unjust.

"Really sorry about this, guys. Ayako, can you make sure that Kentaro gets the #12 and not #14? The other first year is going to be out all summer anyway so let's just give him the number."

"Thank you, captain," Kentaro smiled, not looking quite as upset as Miyagi had expected someone to be. "I appreciate it."

"No. It's the very least I can do." Miyagi shot Sakuragi a glare that went completely unnoticed. Miyagi felt that Ayako had been far too lenient with the redhead, but he knew to trust Ayako's judgment when it came to situations such as these.

And a part of him felt… calmer, somehow. Seeing Rukawa and Sakuragi in the old numbers again made him remember a bit of the magic they had captured against Sannoh last year. It didn't mean anything of course, but Miyagi just couldn't shake that feeling.

Before he could mull over this any longer, Miyagi heard the familiar slow shuffle of Anzai's dress shoes. Miyagi turned to face the coach, bowing respectfully in greeting.

"Anzai-sensei. The team is ready."

"Ohoho, it would appear so Miyagi-kun," Anzai chuckled calmly, giving his tie a quick adjustment. The portly coach was impeccably dressed as usual, approaching each game with professionalism and seriousness.

"Old man!" Sakuragi was quick to drape an arm over Anzai's shoulders. "This Tensai is ready to lead us to victory!"

Anzai managed another of his characteristic laughs. "I'm glad to hear it."

"Are we changing starters, sensei?" Ayako asked as she corrected her roster sheet for the changes in jersey numbers.

Anzai shook his head. "There's no need to rush things. The starters will be the same: Miyagi-kun, Mitsui-kun, Rukawa-kun, Yasuda-kun, and Kakuta-kun."

Sakuragi's explosion occurred a second after the announcement.

"What's the meaning of this, old man?" Sakuragi demanded, slapping Anzai's double chin in protest. Miyagi was quick to give Sakuragi an authoritative kick in the rear, effectively halting the redhead's assault on the coach.

Anzai, now just a bit more ruffled than when he first entered the lockers, adjusted his tie again as if nothing had happened.

"I do want Sakuragi-kun to play today. But it would be preferable to ease the new players in. This includes you, Hiroshi-kun," Anzai-sensei added.

Hiroshi, who had gotten to his feet and had remained silent during Anzai's announcement, nodded obediently in response. Unlike Sakuragi, the fact that he wasn't starting despite being better than the reserves didn't seem to upset Hiroshi in the slightest.

Anzai turned back towards Sakuragi, who was mumbling under his breath about his planned retaliation against Miyagi.

"Sakuragi-kun. You and Hiroshi-kun will take the floor after you've studied Ryonan's defense. You two are now the anchors of defense under the basket. Show Ryonan, and the basketball world, why you are our secret weapon."

Any previous misgivings Sakuragi had dissolved upon hearing this. His eyes lit with pride. "…Secret weapon?"

Mitsui, Miyagi, and Rukawa heaved a collective sigh. _How much longer is that idiot going to fall for that?_

"It will be important to study how Ryonan has changed. Their roster is very similar, with the exception of their new center: Okada Takuma," Anzai continued, knowing he had gotten through with the redhead.

Hiroshi's ears perked at the mentioning of the name. "Okada Takuma from Osaka?"

The other players gave the rookie quizzical glances.

"Are you acquainted with Okada-kun?" Anzai asked.

Hiroshi nodded, a grim look overtaking his usual placid gaze. "I played against him once before. He's a giant of a player."

"Against him? How'd you do?" Miyagi asked out of curiosity.

"He was better than me," Hiroshi said frankly. "Good athleticism for someone his size. Makes him harder to guard. But his offensive game is still developing, which might be our only chance. We're all undersized compared to him."

Hiroshi shot Sakuragi a glance. "We'll have to work together on defense to contain him."

"Won't be a problem for this Tensai!" Sakuragi commented, flexing a bicep in response.

Hiroshi gave the redhead a small smile, trusting his senior's words. The others, however, didn't seem to share this confidence and a silence descended in the locker room.

_Ryonan hasn't lost any strength even with Uozumi's departure then,_ Miyagi thought to himself. _In fact, now that Sendoh is captain, perhaps they even improved…_

_Without Akagi, can we do this?_

"Idiots."

Everyone's attention was caught by not just those blunt words, but also its source: Rukawa.

The Shohoku ace's expression didn't change as he slipped on his black armband, still sitting at his spot on the bench.

"We will crush them. I will handle Sendoh. The rest of the defensive assignments will be up to all of you."

"Oh?" Sakuragi seemed skeptical at Rukawa's prediction "You were a loser fox every time we played him last year. He'll probably surpass you again!"

Rukawa gave Sakuragi an equally hard look. "All trash, what you're saying. If you get a chance to play today, guard the basket with your life."

"Don't order me around, fox!"

Rukawa sighed and straightened his armband before getting to his feet, deciding not to waste any more effort on Sakuragi.

Anzai chuckled in response, looking pleased that the two promising second-year players were egging each other on again. Miyagi, sensing it was time to get going, clapped his hands together to catch everyone's attention. Instead of saying anything, the point guard brushed past Anzai and headed for the basketball court.

Where they belonged.

"Let's go, guys!" Miyagi shouted, hearing the players fall into step behind him. "And never forget…"

The Shohoku High basketball team followed their captain into the dark corridor, their voices becoming one as they strode towards the bright lights of the game waiting for them.

"**We are strong!"**

* * *

**Shohoku High Roster:**

Miyagi Ryota #4 – 3rd year

Mitsui Hisashi #5 – 3rd year

Yasuda Yasuharu #6 – 3rd year

Kakuta Satoru #7 - 3rd year

Satoro Sasaoka #8 – 2nd year

Kuwata Toki #9 – 2nd year

Sakuragi Hanamichi #10 – 2nd year

Rukawa Kaede #11 – 2nd year

Kentaro Ishii # 12 – 2nd year

"Kazuo" Hiroshi #13 – 1st year

Yamasaki Naruhiko #14 – 1st year


	11. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Chapter 10- Game Time**

"Here they come!"

Youhei rose from his seat and pointed to the corridor where the Shohoku team was just beginning to file out. The rest of the Shohoku supporters, now seeing their beloved team make their way to the courts, cupped their hands around their mouths in preparation to cheer them on.

"GO RYONAN!"

Hundreds of voices erupted in unison, drowning out the small group of Shohoku cheerleaders as Ryonan also began taking the floor. The shouts rose to a fever pitch and wild cheers spread across the gym, all for Ryonan.

"Are there any cheers for Shohoku?" Haruko looked genuinely surprised as she shouted over the noise, looking across the crowd to try and identify any pockets of Shohoku fans. "Our record isn't too bad this year! Not to mention some dedicated fans still come, after watching our performance from last year's Nationals!"

Youhei looked around and shook his head, his hands over his ears. "There might be, but how would we hear them over all this?"

Nori looked genuinely crestfallen as he adjusted the positioning of his flag. "How can they not cheer for the Man of Fire, Mitsui Hisashi?"

Youhei shrugged, trying his best to feign interest. "I don't know, Nori!"

"Well stop being so pathetic with your cheers, you idiots!" Nori drew in a deep breath and reared back, gathering all his strength before cutting loose.

"SHOOO-HOKU!"

If anyone around Nori hadn't cupped their ears before, they were doing so now.

Back courtside, the players for both teams were doing warm ups and shooting around in preparation for the game. The noise didn't bother them at all—they were all focused on the game ahead.

Anzai and Taoka strode towards the scorer's table, the two coaches already having their hands out ready for a handshake. There was nothing but mutual respect between these individuals. Taoka clapped Anzai on the shoulder as they shook, looking genuinely pleased to see Anzai again.

"Anzai-san, you are looking excellent," Taoka said appraisingly. The Ryonan High coach had changed little during the past year—this was made immediately clear when he began yelling at his team over his shoulder the second an opportunity presented itself.

"Hikoichi! Where are you? Get a chair for Anzai-sensei!"

"Ho ho ho, there's no need," Anzai chuckled, declining the offer. "Ayako-chan has a chair ready for me at the benches."

Taoka nodded, looking a bit downtrodden that he had not been able to help out his senior in some way.

"Regardless, Anzai-san. I wish you and your team the best of luck. May the best team win," he added, giving Anzai's hand another hard shake.

Anzai returned it with slightly less vigor. "We will have much to learn from you, Taoka-san."

And if there was someone that was eager to learn, it would certainly be Aida Hikoichi, the second-year player and predominant researcher of Ryonan High. The short but energetic boy was already on Shohoku's side of the court, jotting notes and happily greeting the others as if he was a part of the team.

"Sakuragi! I can't believe you're back!"

Sakuragi, who was busy practicing his layups, stopped what he was doing upon hearing the familiar voice. He turned around and gave Hikoichi a wide smile, looking pleased to see the other player again.

"Yo, Hikoichi!"

Hikoichi dashed right up to the redhead, stopping just short of running into Sakuragi so he could bow in greeting. "It is very good to see you back in health again! I had heard about your injury from the news! It was a great shame to not see you during winter last year!"

Sakuragi waved his hand nonchalantly, as if deflecting Hikoichi's enthusiasm. "That injury couldn't stop a genius like me. I'm back for certain!"

Hikoichi straightened, his grin widening even further.

"Outstanding! Outstanding news! The other players on Ryonan will be glad to hear that you've fully recovered. They almost couldn't believe it was you over here." Hikoichi shot a glance over his shoulder to where his teammates were still warming up. None of the Ryonan High players had even looked in Shohoku's direction, due to their focus. "But I have some bad news for you, Sakuragi. I know it's your first game back, but don't expect to win today. Ryonan is very strong now."

Sakuragi, who had been chipper throughout the whole conversation, immediately lost a bit of his playfulness upon hearing this challenge. "I will defeat him."

Hikoichi shook his head. "You haven't seen Sendoh since you've been gone, have you? He's even better than before. You're going to be in for a very tough fight." Hikoichi, without even waiting for Sakuragi's response, began backing away. "I have to get back to my team. Just wanted to leave you a warning. But I can't wait to see you play again!"

The game had yet to start, but as Sakuragi watched Hikoichi dash off without a care back to Ryonan's side of the court, the redhead couldn't help but feel irritated. _That kid sure has turned more annoying since I was gone…_

"Team huddle!" Miyagi called out from benchside, snapping Sakuragi out of his funk. The rest of the Shohoku players were quick to gather in a circle around Miyagi, Ayako, and Anzai as warm-ups ended.

Miyagi stood silent, pondering his words for a moment before speaking.

"We treat this one as a must-win, you guys got it? Shohoku is back at full force and it's time for us to announce that to the basketball world. Give it your all and let's leave the fans up there with tears after we beat Ryonan." Miyagi's mischievous, trouble-making grin began to stretch across his face. "No excuses! Remember that we're the strongest!"

Miyagi held his hand out expectantly, and in moments nine other hands all piled atop it.

"GO SHOHOKU!"

The huddle broke up in an instant, with the starters heading to center court and the rest of the players finding their seats at the bench. Hiroshi and Sakuragi joined the benchwarmers, with Sakuragi looking particularly unhappy being in this position.

Ryonan's starters were already waiting at the half-court line. Though this was not the first time the teams have played against one another, it had been some time since they had crossed paths and most of Ryonan's players were showing some differences.

Of immediate notice was the brand new center, Okada Takuma. While looking nowhere near as bulky as the previous Ryonan center Uozumi, what he lacked in bulk Takuma seemed to make up for in length. Furthermore, his features were far more youthful, more befitting of his age than Uozumi's had been.

The old standby starters, now all third-years, were also sporting some changes. Fukuda Kicchou, renowned as the second ace of Ryonan, had gained considerable muscle and looked downright menacing. Koshino Hiroaki, shooting guard and vice-captain of the team, looked to have gained some height and was now sporting a much shorter haircut than last year, giving him a more sportsman-like appearance. Uekusa Tomoyuki looked among the least changed, his professional aura coming through as he stood ready for Shohoku's players to advance.

Akira Sendoh, "Genius" of Ryonan, was another player that looked to have changed little. At best he seemed slightly heavier than before, but with his signature spiky hair and bright smile, he seemed like the exact same person as he always had been. In fact, Sendoh was the first with his hand out as he went across greeting each of Shohoku's starters as the teams lined up.

When Sendoh reached Rukawa, Rukawa shook only grudgingly and kept his gaze locked on his old rival, the Shohoku ace's icy stare full of competition.

"I hope for a good match," Rukawa said. _Don't expect to win,_his eyes conveyed.

Sendoh's smile widened, having expected this reception.

"It didn't seem like you were playing me at your best during Winter Cup qualification. I had wanted to see how much you really improved after taking on that number one high school player of Japan."

Rukawa's hand fell away and he stalked off, expression unchanging. "You didn't even get his name right."

Kakuta made for the half-court line for the jump ball, nervously eying Takuma the entire while. Though Takuma didn't appear as threatening a presence as Uozumi, his sheer height was enough to intimidate the more inexperienced Kakuta. The former bench-player took in a breath to calm himself, reminding himself that this year he had faced many talented players already. The most he could do was play his best.

"Players line-up!" the referees announced again, one of the referees already making his way to the center with the game ball.

Back on the Shohoku benches, Ayako began readying her stats and roster sheets for both teams:

**Starting Lineups**

**Point Guard **

#4 Miyagi Ryota (3rd year)- 170 cm, 60 kg

#7 Uekusa Tomoyuki (3rd year)- 172 cm, 64 kg

**Shooting Guard: **

#6 Yasuda Yasaharu (3rd year)- 164 cm, 55 kg

#5 Koshino Hiroaki (3rd year)- 180 cm, 66 kg

**Small Forward: **

#5 Mitsui Hisashi (3rd year)- 186 cm, 71 kg

#4 Akira Sendoh (3rd year)- 191 cm, 82 kg

**Power Forward:**

#11 Rukawa Kaede (2nd year)- 189 cm, 76 kg

#8 Fukuda Kicchou (3rd year)- 191 cm, 87 kg

**Center:**

#10 Kakuta Satoru (3rd year)- 181 cm, 78 kg

#13 Okada Takuma (1st year)- 206 cm, 88 kg

Ayako could only shake her head in displeasure. Ryonan's players possessed a major size advantage and were clearly more talented overall against Shohoku's current starting lineup. Furthermore, while Rukawa was assigned to the power forward position in some cases for matchup purposes, Rukawa's true strengths were playing from the perimeter. As things were, Shohoku would stand no chance of winning.

She quickly redid the information, looking at the matchups after Sakuragi and Hiroshi would be inserted into the game.

**Point Guard **

#4 Miyagi Ryota (3rd year)- 170 cm, 60 kg

#7 Uekusa Tomoyuki (3rd year)- 172 cm, 64 kg

**Shooting Guard: **

#5 Mitsui Hisashi (3rd year)- 186 cm, 71 kg

#5 Koshino Hiroaki (3rd year)- 180 cm, 66 kg

**Small Forward: **

#11 Rukawa Kaede (2nd year)- 189 cm, 76 kg

#4 Akira Sendoh (3rd year)- 191 cm, 82 kg

**Power Forward:**

#13 Kazuo Hiroshi (1st year)- 190 cm, 77 kg

#8 Fukuda Kicchou (3rd year)- 191 cm, 87 kg

**Center:**

#10 Sakuragi Hanamichi (2nd year)- 192 cm, 84 kg

#13 Okada Takuma (1st year)- 206 cm, 88 kg

_That's much better,_ Ayako sighed in relief. But even this matchup sheet was somewhat misleading, Ayako knew. Sakuragi would definitely want to guard his old nemesis Fukuda; of this she was certain. This would give Shohoku a slight advantage in the power forward spot in terms of size with only a bit of loss in the center category; and likely not a significant one, given that Hiroshi had expressed knowledge of Ryonan High's new center.

_Our starting lineup is deceiving,_ Ayako decided, looking back towards the courts. _Ryonan High will have their work cut out for them, after all._

Just before the referee could throw the ball into the air, Rukawa stepped into the half-court circle, ignoring the murmurs that went across the other players.

"Senpai."

Kakuta turned to see Rukawa's emotionless eyes staring back at him.

"Um, uh, yes?" Kakuta stammered, somewhat intimidated by the younger player's aura.

"Let me jump ball."

Kakuta looked back over Rukawa's shoulder towards Anzai at the benches, seeking approval. Anzai, clear of Rukawa's intentions despite not being anywhere near the players, waved his hand a bit to signify he was fine with Rukawa taking the jump-ball.

Kakuta stepped away quickly, finding a Ryonan High player to block off. Miyagi and Mitsui shot each other looks as Rukawa stepped into the semi-circle, giving the much taller Takuma a challenging glare. Takuma grinned down towards Rukawa, seeming to enjoy the fact that Rukawa was not afraid of him as the referee held the ball between the two players.

"You going to try and steal this from me, shorty?"

Rukawa said nothing, instead bending low in preparation for the jump.

And in the next moment the ball flew into the air, catching the lights of the gym as two long arms chased after it.


	12. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction.net. Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

_  
_Reviews: Yun Fei- Thanks for reading my new chapters, Yun Fei.

Yeah, Shohoku is outmatched in size, but the players have relatively balanced heights, which means a bit more flexibility when they switch off to guard other players. However, this advantage is only with the true starting five, and Shohoku still has a weak bench. .

Update soon, okay? I think I updated more than enough, so it's your turn to do likewise. : )

Mak- Thanks for the review. I'm sure your writing would have been very good… why don't you just make an account at FanFiction.net and post the story?

And yep, Pistons are now the NBA 2004 Champions.

Xoni Newcomer- Hi there! I'm very happy that you like the story, and your compliments are really appreciated, although I sort of doubt that this is one of the best SD fics out there. I tried to make the character interactions believable, but a bit more mature than other fan fictions because the players should have grown up slightly. It's good to hear that the relationships are acceptable.

Thanks for the correction about Fukuda, I will definitely go back and change it. Hope to hear more from you in the future.

-----------------

Chapter 11- Down 

Rukawa tapped the ball out of midair, just barely passing Takuma's outstretched arm by millimeters. The ball went straight into Yasuda's hands, and left a stunned Takuma.

_How'd that brat jump so high?_ Takuma thought, landing back onto the court.

"Yasuda, watch it!" Miyagi called.  
  
Yasuda turned in time to see Sendoh swipe the ball from him. Sendoh instantly drove downcourt, leaving the confused defense behind and laid the ball in, giving Ryonan the first two points of the game in under five seconds.

Miyagi held his temper. "Yasuda, next time you get the ball, pass to me."  
  
Yasuda nodded unhappily and went to guard Koshino.

Mitsui inbounded the ball to Miyagi. "Let's just get those points back."

"Of course," Miyagi agreed, dribbling. "We'll repay them double."  
  
Miyagi quickly tossed the ball to Kakuta in the post, with Takuma towering over him. As soon as he passed, Miyagi regretted it. _Shit, I forgot about the massive size advantage Takuma has…_

Kakuta backed into Takuma once, twice, and quickly jumped for a turnaround jump shot.

"GAR!" Takuma growled, and slapped the ball right back into Sendoh's hands.

"Damn!" Kakuta cursed, going upcourt to defend. However, it was once again too late as Sendoh raced through and laid the ball in again. 4-0.

Rukawa was already cursing himself. _He's so fast now… why couldn't I guard him?_  
  
Sendoh smiled. "Looks like I'm winning already, Rukawa."  
  
Miyagi threw the ball to Rukawa this time. "Tch," Rukawa retorted. "It's just begun." Rukawa faked right, and quickly dribbled left. However, Sendoh had already predicted the move and stole the ball again. Rukawa's eyes widened as Sendoh drove right past him with the ball and dunked on the other side of the court, drawing cheers from the Ryonan-supporting audience. 6-0 in less then a minute.

Yasuda passed the ball back to Miyagi, who took the ball upcourt again. "Hey, hey, slow it down guys!" Miyagi called. "Don't get nervous!" At this, Miyagi sliced through the defense to try and lay it in himself. However, Fukuda came from the right baseline and blocked the lay up attempt.

Koshino took the ball. "Sendoh!" he shouted, throwing the ball downcourt. Sendoh caught it, but this time when he turned he saw Rukawa was already in front of him.

_Interesting_, Sendoh thought, bending over and bringing the ball low. Sendoh faked left, but Rukawa didn't fall for it. Sendoh's eyes flashed right, and he simply lobbed the ball up._What?_ Rukawa wondered, turning around just in time to see Fukuda catch Sendoh's pass and dunk it in. 8-0.

"Whoa, mid-air dunking!" The Ryonan crowd was impressed.

"Psh, it's not like Shohoku can't do that," Youhei said, his chin resting in his right palm. "But the team seems so disorganized right now…"  
  
Ayako on the bench was looking a bit worried. "Sensei…" she looked over at the coach. "Maybe we should call a time-out?" Anzai shook his head and said nothing.

Mitsui passed the ball in to Miyagi. "My bad, Rukawa," he called. "I should have switched when you were guarding Sendoh." Rukawa didn't answer as he jogged upcourt alongside Miyagi.

Miyagi quickly passed to Yasuda, who was being guarded by Koshino. Koshino smirked. "Go ahead, shoot. I'll give you that shot."  
  
Yasuda looked nervous and passed off to Rukawa. Koshino stared at Yasuda disgustedly. "What a coward."  
  
Rukawa quickly turned and saw Fukuda guarding him. Taoka grimaced from the Ryonan benches. _Oh no… one of the top offensive players against Fukuda's mediocre defense. Shohoku may have an advantage there…_

Rukawa decided to shoot a jump shot, but it came up a tad short. Takuma ripped down the rebound over the shorter Kakuta and passed to Uekusa. Uekusa dribbled upcourt, being heavily guarded by the faster and more agile Miyagi, who forced him to stop his dribble.

"Uekusa!" Sendoh called, motioning from the left corner. Uekusa threw the ball over Miyagi's head and Sendoh jumped up to catch it. Mitsui immediately crouched into defensive position. "Just try and get past me, Sendoh."  
  
Sendoh smiled again. "Mitsui-senpai, I know how well you guard." Sendoh quickly leaped up and swished a jump shot. "…But I won't fall for any of your tricks."

Mitsui scowled as Sendoh went back to defend. 10-0, Ryonan's favor in under two minutes.

Sakuragi was fuming at the sidelines. "Damnit, old man, let me in the game already! That fox isn't doing anything!" Sakuragi went over and began slapping Anzai's chin, forcing the other Shohoku players to restrain him.

Hiroshi, on the other hand, was watching intently without a word. Sakuragi rejoined him and sat down. "How can they keep this genius out of the game…" Sakuragi muttered. "Isn't this an outrage, Hiro?"

"They aren't concentrating."

"Hm?" Sakuragi looked at Hiroshi.

"They aren't concentrating," Hiroshi repeated, his hands clasped together in his lap. "They're losing because they aren't covering the fast breaks quickly enough. They're jogging back to defend, not running. I think it's the carryover from the game plans we always used before: save energy for offense rather than defense. Ryonan is getting tons of easy shots up close."  
  
Hiroshi looked at Sakuragi. "But Ryonan is a strong team, aren't they? You've played them before. Our pure offensive tactics won't work here. Great teams will realize our weakness and attack it mercilessly. We have to strike back soon." Hiroshi turned back to the game. "When we get in, let's show them Shohoku's defensive power."  
  
Ayako looked over, a bit surprised. _This rookie knows more about the game than the others think… _

Sakuragi then grinned. "Of course! This Tensai will steal every rebound! That will control the game for Shohoku!"  
  
Hiroshi smiled in return, but his eyes never left the game.

Miyagi once again dribbled downcourt and passed to Mitsui. Mitsui then bounce-passed it to Yasuda, who had a massive amount of space to shoot. Koshino was completely disrespecting Yasuda's offensive ability and was barely guarding him for jump shots.

"Shoot it!" Mitsui yelled at Yasuda. Yasuda stared at the rim for a few seconds and shot an air ball.  
  
Mitsui covered his face unhappily. _That guy is being overly nervous, and it's taking away his rhythm… how can a senior make such a pathetic mistake?_

Fukuda took the air ball and passed it downcourt to Sendoh again. Sendoh instantly saw he was being double-teamed by Kakuta and Rukawa.

"No guys, don't—" Miyagi's warning was interrupted as Sendoh snapped a beautiful no-look pass to Takuma, who slammed the ball in fiercely. 12-0.

Miyagi shook his head in disappointment. _Don't they remember? Sendoh can play like a point guard too!_

Apparently Rukawa _did _remember, because he was already upset at Kakuta. "Let me guard my man. Take care of yours first."

"Ah… yeah…" Kakuta mumbled, going back on defense. Miyagi took the ball and looked at the clock. It read 17:43.

_Plenty of time to make a comeback,_ Miyagi thought as he dribbled upcourt. _But Ryonan has taken a huge lead in less than four minutes…_

Miyagi swept the ball over to Mitsui in the right corner, and Mitsui calmly shot a three pointer.

The Shohoku bench stood up in expectation. Ayako was mesmerized at the shot. _What a beautiful arc…_

However, the ball overshot its target and bounced off the other side of the rim, popping right into the hands of Takuma. Mitsui clenched his fist in disappointment.

Takuma handed the ball off to Sendoh, but Yasuda stole it.

"Good work!" Miyagi yelled. Yasuda took two steps and tried to lay the ball off the backboard. However, Takuma swiftly responded with a strong block that thudded off of Yasuda's chest and sent Yasuda sprawling onto the floor.

Takuma landed and stared at the pained Yasuda with intimidation. "Don't bring those weak shots under Ryonan's basket."

The referee retrieved the ball and gave it to Sendoh. Then he looked at Yasuda. "Can you still play?"

Yasuda nodded, his teeth clenched as he lifted himself back up. _What power that center has…_

The referee whistled, and the game resumed. Sendoh threw the ball downcourt to an unguarded Koshino, as Yasuda hadn't made it all the way back to defend. Koshino ran in and laid the ball up. Kakuta attempted to block it, but slapped Koshino's hand accidentally.  
  
The ball dropped through the hoop.

The referee whistled and shouted, "Basket counts! White foul, #9!"

Koshino yelled happily, and his teammates grouped around to congratulate him. The Shohoku players, on the other hand, looked downright angry with themselves.

The players lined up for the foul shot. Koshino took the ball, dribbled once, then flexed his knees slightly and shot it. It rattled in, making the score 15-0. Mitsui slapped the ball in frustration, just as he often did when he was upset.

"Excuse me," Anzai finally said to the scorer's table. "I'd like a timeout please."

Mitsui passed the ball to Miyagi, who looked at Anzai. Anzai made a signal that he had already called a timeout. Miyagi sighed. _Let's hope Anzai-sensei can find a way to get us back in the game…_

"Miyagi!" Mitsui warned.

Miyagi instinctively bounced the ball behind his back, and realized that he had narrowly escaped a Uekusa steal. Miyagi dashed upcourt and passed to Yasuda.

Koshino had completely disregarded Yasuda and left him a completely open lane to drive in, opting to help Fukuda guard Rukawa instead. Mitsui shouted at Yasuda. "What are you doing? Cut through!"  
  
Yasuda instead passed back to Miyagi. _He's scared to go in,_ Mitsui realized. _Miyagi made the right pass, but Takuma has already established his authority and Yasuda is frightened…_

Miyagi realized the shot clock was running down and threw up a jump shot that bounced off the front rim. Sendoh caught the rebound and slowly dribbled back, allowing the offense to set up. Sendoh then raced in, leaving Mitsui behind, and snapped a behind the back pass to Takuma.

Takuma rose up for the dunk and mowed down the weaker Kakuta as he slammed it in. The whistle blew again. "Basket counts! Blocking foul, white #9!"  
  
The crowd erupted in cheers. Hikoichi was already gushing about Sendoh. "Did you see that pass?! Wow! Only real basketball geniuses can do that…"

Taoka grinned happily. _Ryonan is in very good form today…_

Since the game had come to a stop, Shohoku was allowed to use its timeout. Sakuragi clenched in fist in rage as Shohoku huddled together. Miyagi glanced at the scoreboard. 17-0, with 15:32 remaining.

Anzai-sensei cleared his throat. "Hiroshi-kun, Sakuragi-kun, it is time for you to join the game. Kakuta-kun, because you have two fouls, I will substitute you. Yasuda-kun will also be substituted. I want everyone to change their positions appropriately."

Anzai patted Miyagi's shoulder. "Direct the offense to Sakuragi-kun. Ryonan will not expect it, and Sakuragi-kun needs to readjust to the game."

"That's the first sensible thing you said all day, old man!" Sakuragi said, as Hiroshi tucked his jersey in. Anzai-sensei then looked at the players about to take the floor. The true starting five.

"You guys are very strong," Anzai said quietly. "Do not forget this."

A whistle blew, signaling the end of the timeout.

"All right," Sakuragi said, walking ahead of the group. "Let's beat these guys down!"


	13. Chapter 12

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction.net. Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews: Yun Fei- Well, it's okay that you have writers block. Take your time in writing; I'd rather see good chapters than forced. Don't worry about it.

Thanks for your comments, once again.

The Wobbly Guy- Hi there! Thanks for the compliment about the story.

I also really wanted to add in an actual center for Shohoku, but I felt that it would seem too coincidental. Sakuragi's growth spurt, although small, was meant to give them somewhat of a center… but as you observed, it isn't anywhere near the sizes of normal high school centers. That's just a problem Shohoku will have to deal with.

Again, thanks for your comments. I feel privileged to have readers that appreciate basketball reading my story.

Roselle- Thanks for your numerous analyses of the story. I'll try to continue the story, hopefully without too much trouble.

Mak- Good to see you're looking forward to the match. As for your story, it was up to you, so if you decided not to post it I guess it's okay.

Hopefully, I won't disrupt my rapid update schedule too much, since my inspiration for writing this continuation of Slam Dunk has still been rather strong. Thanks for sticking with the story.

-----------------

Chapter 12- Hiro, the Hero 

"Oh?"  
  
Sendoh turned towards Shohoku's bench and was instantly stunned at the sight of the redhead, Sakuragi.

"Ah, you've returned?"  
  
Sakuragi looked at Sendoh disdainfully. "Of course, porcupine head. And today, this Tensai will be your downfall!" Sakuragi laughed in self-bravado before being slammed in the head by Mitsui.

Mitsui dragged Sakuragi off. "Sorry for the disrespect, Sendoh. I don't think he has a brain."  
  
Sendoh laughed it off. "It's not a problem."  
  
The teams lined up for Takuma's foul shot. Takuma gripped the ball awkwardly and shot. Sakuragi's eyes instantly focused.

_It won't go in! This Tensai, who shot so many free throws, can easily tell!_  
  
Sakuragi leaped straight into the air and grabbed the rebound. "Ha! Look at—"

The whistle blew. "Lane violation, white #10!"  
  
Sakuragi looked around. "Hm?"  
  
Miyagi gave Sakuragi a swift kick to the rear. "You idiot! Don't you know how to be patient?!"  
  
_Dr. T: A lane violation occurs when a player from either team passes their respective lanes when another player is shooting a free throw. If either a shooter or a rebounder passes the lane before the ball leaves the hand of the shooter, then a lane violation will occur. If it is from the opposing team's side, the shooter will get another opportunity to shoot a replacement free throw. If the shooter passes the foul line, or someone from his or her team passes the line, then the free throw is nullified and the other team instantly gains possession of the ball._

Fukuda shot Sakuragi a look. "I see you're still as stupid as ever."  
  
Sakuragi erupted. "What the hell are you talking about? You can't even beat this Tensai!" Sakuragi turned towards Hiroshi. "Hiro, let me guard this pretentious bastard!"  
  
Hiroshi smiled weakly. "All right, if you want. I'll try to guard Takuma."

The referee handed the ball back to Takuma. Takuma shot again, and missed once again. Sakuragi sprang into the air and ripped down the rebound with mammoth force.

Sendoh glanced at Sakuragi. _He's still as energetic as ever. Better keep an eye on him._

Sakuragi quickly passed to Miyagi, who zipped downcourt and bounced a pass to Rukawa. Rukawa crossed over Koshino and laid the ball into the basket.

"All right!" Miyagi raised his fist in triumph. "Shohoku finally scores!" The scoreboard read 17-2, with 15:24 remaining.

Sendoh took the ball. "Everyone…"  
  
The Ryonan players turned towards him. "Don't let the momentum swing back to them. Let's turn up our defense."  
  
Taoka nodded from the sidelines. _Well said, Sendoh. That's why you are the captain…_

Sendoh passed the ball off to Uekusa, who dribbled downcourt. He quickly passed to Takuma, who was being guarded by Hiroshi.

Takuma grinned, his back to the basket. "It's you again."  
  
Hiroshi grunted, using all his strength to hold back the huge center. "Yeah, me," he confirmed. "Let's see if you got any better."

"You bet I have, you runt. And I'm going to—"

The long arm of Hiroshi quickly reached in and slapped the ball away from behind. Miyagi picked up the loose ball.

Hiroshi grinned at Takuma as he jogged downcourt. "Speak with your actions, not words. And don't hold the ball that long if you aren't going to do anything with it."  
  
Takuma looked straight ahead. "Shut up!"

Miyagi considered his options, and then remembered. _Direct the offense to Sakuragi-kun…_

"Sakuragi!"

Miyagi threw the ball to Sakuragi in the post. Sakuragi shot a look behind him, seeing Fukuda already guarding him. Sakuragi grinned.

"Watch this!" Sakuragi jumped. "Turnaround jump shot!"

Miyagi sweatdropped. _Oh crap…_

The ball flew past the rim completely, but Rukawa grabbed the air ball and slammed it back in. 17-4.

The crowd buzzed. "Who's that #11?" "I hear he's on the All-Japan team…"  
  
Sakuragi kicked Rukawa. "Dumb fox! Stealing my glory?"  
  
Rukawa kicked Sakuragi in return. "Dou ahou."  
  
Miyagi kicked both of them. "Shut up! Get back on defense!"  
  
Ayako hid a smile. _It's like last year…_

Sendoh raced in and lobbed the ball up again. Takuma caught it and tried to slam it in… but the ball bounced out. The Ryonan crowd mumbled amongst themselves about the embarrassment of the missed dunk.  
  
Sakuragi caught the ball and threw it upcourt to the racing Miyagi. Takuma slapped his hands together in frustration, because the reason he missed the dunk was due to Hiroshi keeping Takuma far enough outside the paint for him to catch the ball but not complete the dunk.

_That little bastard learned some tricks…_

Miyagi threw the ball back into Sakuragi. Sakuragi backed into Fukuda steadily, and saw Koshino coming to double-team him out of the corner of his eye.

_Who was Koshino guarding…?_  
  
Sakuragi passed the ball back out to the wide-open Mitsui.

"Shit!" Koshino turned, realizing his mistake. Mitsui shot the three-pointer and the ball splashed through the net. 17-7.

Uekusa took the ball out and passed it… right into the outstretched arm of Hiroshi.

"Whoa, a steal!" the crowd was starting to get into the game after writing off Shohoku.

Hiroshi passed the ball right back to Mitsui, in the exact same spot. Mitsui shot the three again, and it had the same result. 17-10.

Taoka signaled for a timeout. Sendoh nodded as he dribbled upcourt and pulled up alongside Fukuda. "Listen, Taoka-sensei has called for a timeout. Before the timeout starts, I'll try and get you to score a few points. Watch for my passes."

"All right." Fukuda went down into the post, alongside Sakuragi. Sendoh considered the matchup, and bounced the ball in to Fukuda. Fukuda turned towards Sakuragi.   
  
Sakuragi watched Fukuda carefully… and suddenly Fukuda's image seemed to wobble. Sakuragi blinked. Fukuda then quickly faked a shot, and drove past the bewildered redhead.

"Good!" Sendoh called, but suddenly saw an image blur from the other side of the basket. A lengthy arm reached straight into the air and blocked Fukuda's layup attempt. Hiroshi used his other hand to slap the loose ball towards Mitsui as he landed.

Sendoh looked surprised. "The rookie…"  
  
Mitsui grabbed the ball. "Guys, run!" Mitsui threw a long pass downcourt to Miyagi, who went right past Uekusa and made a reverse layup. 17-12.

"Shit!" Koshino bounced the ball hard on the floor before passing to Sendoh. Sendoh was growing wary of Hiroshi. _That guy is much better than we thought he was…_

Rukawa reached in for the ball, and Sendoh narrowly avoided the steal. Rukawa, completely focused, got in closer to Sendoh and forced Sendoh to stop his dribble. Sendoh suddenly realized with dread that he was trapped along the side of the court.

Sendoh looked over Rukawa's shoulder and saw Uekusa was open. Sendoh lifted the ball up, but Rukawa quickly raised his arm in the same direction. Sendoh bounced the pass under Rukawa's arm, but felt that dread he had creep further upwards as he saw Miyagi glide right into the path of the ball and steal it.

Miyagi smiled towards Sendoh as he ran past Rukawa. "You didn't think I wouldn't play defense, did you?"

Sendoh smiled back. "Sorry."  
  
Miyagi dropped the ball back into Sakuragi. Sakuragi felt Fukuda's arm pressed against the small of his back. Sakuragi's eyes scanned the floor and passed back to Miyagi. Miyagi tapped the pass to Mitsui, who shot the three-pointer again. It came up a bit short.

Mitsui grimaced. _Damn, it didn't go in…_

Sakuragi ducked past Fukuda and leapt into the air, grabbing the offensive rebound. Sakuragi shot the ball and the ball completely missed the rim again.

"Hey, don't shoot it randomly!" Miyagi called, trying to race in to help.

Sakuragi took one step to the other side of the basket and jumped up again. "Get it myself!" Sakuragi caught the rebound and shot again. The ball hit the backboard but missed the rim. Sakuragi turned, trying to pursue the ball again, but this time the ball went into Hiroshi's hands.

Hiroshi jumped into the air for the dunk, but Takuma's arm wrapped right across Hiroshi's chest and dragged him down, crashing Hiroshi onto the floor with a thud.

The whistle blew. "Shooting foul! Blue, #12!"

Mitsui approached the center threateningly. "You damn punk! You did that intentionally!"  
  
Takuma shot a look back at Mitsui. "Don't call that short weakling to match up with me then."  
  
Sakuragi stepped up alongside Mitsui. "Hey, Fish Head…"  
  
Ayako looked at Sakuragi in surprise, then burst into giggles from Shohoku's bench. _That Takuma does have a face that resembles a fish…_

Sakuragi continued. "Are you scared that Hiro is better than you? Afraid of getting dunked on, Fish Head?!"

The Sakuragi Army grew a bit nervous in the stands. "Big guy, don't push Sakuragi any further…" Noma whispered under his breath.

"Guys…"  
  
Everyone turned towards Hiroshi, who carefully lifted himself off the floor. The side of his head was bleeding.

"Just let me shoot my free-throws. Don't worry about it. A hard foul is a hard foul."  
  
The referee walked up to the group. "#5, get that blood cleaned up." He turned towards the Ryonan players. "You can have your timeout right now. But I want to speak with the team captains first."  
  
Sendoh and Miyagi walked up to the referee as the others drifted off.

"Don't let your players argue like that, okay? I want to see a clean game without trouble. If this continues, I will throw out players without hesitation. Understand?"

The two players nodded solemnly.

"Okay then." The referee left the two players, who quietly went to their respective benches. Above them, the scoreboard read 17-12, with 6:57 remaining for the first half.


	14. Chapter 13

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction.net. Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews: Xiaoj- Glad to see you enjoy it. I'll try my best!

Yun Fei- Thanks for reviewing, once again.

As for the parts that seem familiar, I'm actually glad you caught that. I'm impressed with your knowledge of the series, and it makes me very happy to see dedicated Slam Dunk fans still around.

There are two parts to speak of that I based off the manga. The first is the most obvious, probably: it's the hard foul that Takuma does on Hiroshi. Mitsui's intervention is exactly what he does when Kainan's Maki smacks Sakuragi down in Volume 14, and I included it because I felt that really shows that despite Mitsui's aloof personality, he still genuinely cares about his teammates and won't stand for cheap shots. I felt it appropriate to include, because it shows Mitsui slowly caring about his teammates more— especially after the scene where Mitsui steadily becomes closer with Sakuragi instead of just dealing with him in a business-like manner. The only difference is that Sakuragi becomes directly involved this time around instead of being the victim, but Hiroshi halts his anger when he gets back up.

The second might be a bit harder to pinpoint, and I'm actually not sure what you saw that was familiar… however, I'm guessing it's the dialogue that the referee has with Miyagi and Sendoh, which mirrored the discussion of Akagi and Toyotama's captain when the game started to get physical. That scene was almost coincidental in my mind, because I just felt what the referee said before should apply there also in taking captains aside to calm down their teams.

Again, I'm impressed with your ability to remember the details of Slam Dunk, and giving me an opportunity to rant about why I based them off the manga. Thanks for your comments, and I'll look forward to more in the future!

Laziness Incarnate- Hey there. It's been a while.

Thanks for your compliment about me updating rapidly, although it hasn't really been a problem for me.

As for the nickname thing… yeah, Sakuragi just seems to have a problem of calling people he doesn't know well/doesn't like by their actual names, and it's always hilarious to see him make up names for people. Glad to see both you and Yun Fei enjoying the continuation of Sakuragi's tradition.

Thanks for your review!

-------------

Chapter 13- Sakuragi, the Tensai 

"Whew, that was a close call." The Sakuragi Army breathed a sigh of relief, frightened to see Sakuragi get thrown out a game. If worse came to worse, the gundan knew they would intervene to prevent the ejection of their friend.

Haruko, of course, was completely oblivious to Sakuragi's rage. "Oh? What's a relief?"  
  
Youhei smiled faintly at her. "No, it's nothing." _How can that girl not notice…?_

On the other hand, Ryonan's bench was a flurry of activity.

"Damnit!" Taoka was giving the team a piece of his mind. "You let them go off on a 12-0 run in the last, what was it, Hikoichi?"

"Um, a little over seven minutes?"

"Right!" Taoka's eyes were blazing. "And the turnovers! Quit turning the ball over! Take care of that damn ball! Don't be so careless! Make sure that #5 doesn't lock us down; he's a rookie who hasn't even shot the ball yet!"  
  
The rest of the team was silent, taking the abuse that Taoka was offering.

Taoka finally lowered his voice a bit. "Listen, we can't lose. All of our training should have easily been able to take Shohoku down. You guys were able to do that in the first few minutes, and you can do it again."  
  
Sendoh listened, but shook his head slightly upon these words. _Sorry, sensei, but you're wrong… the team we're facing now is completely different from the team that started!_

"Okay!" Taoka patted Sendoh and Fukuda on the shoulder. "You two! I want you two to direct the offense. Sendoh and Fukuda will be the attack points. Take down those two second years!"

The team nodded and placed their hands together. "Let's go!"  
  
Shohoku's bench was completely different from Ryonan's: it was incredibly quiet. All the players sat around, wiping sweat off their faces. Anzai-sensei hadn't said a single word.

The referee blew his whistle. "Time out is over."  
  
Ayako poked Anzai. "Um, Sensei, now might be the time to say some words…"  
  
Anzai looked at the team. "Don't change strategies. Direct the offense through Sakuragi. You guys are playing very well now." He looked at Hiroshi, who had a small patch on the side of his head. "Keep up the good work, everyone."  
  
Miyagi threw his towel off. "All right, Shohoku…"  
  
The team began to take the floor again. "…show your might!"  
  
Hiroshi walked up to take his free throw. He bounced the ball three times, then spun the ball in left palm and shot. The ball swished neatly through the net. 17-13.

Mitsui patted Hiroshi's back. "Nice job."  
  
Hiroshi smiled and took the ball again. He went through the same routine and shot again, but this time it came up a bit short.

"Rebound!" All the players jumped for the ball, and it winded up in the hands of Takuma.

"Good!" Koshino began racing downcourt. Takuma heaved a pass to Koshino, who drove to the basket.

"It's a two on one break!" the crowd watched the game excitedly. The lone Shohoku captain, Miyagi, was guarding Koshino and Sendoh as they sprinted downcourt.

Koshino bounced the ball to Sendoh, and Miyagi jumped to try and steal the ball. However, Sendoh caught the ball and dunked the ball right over Miyagi.

"Whoa!" the crowd gasped in surprise. "Sendoh dunked over that shorty!"  
  
Miyagi's eyes blazed. _Shorty…?_

Rukawa inbounded the ball to Miyagi. Mitsui looked over at the seething Miyagi.

"Hey, calm down."

Miyagi took a deep breath. _Mitsui is right; I have to lead the team…_

"I'm calm." Miyagi breathed deeply again, and exhaled. "I'm calm enough to defeat Ryonan."  
  
Miyagi passed the ball back into Sakuragi. Sakuragi dribbled the ball once, and turned. "Watch this! Tensai jump shot!"  
  
Miyagi slapped his forehead. _Not again…_

The ball air-balled and came short of the rim. However, this time Hiroshi was there to steal the rebound and he quickly passed the ball right back to Sakuragi. Sakuragi saw he was wide open, and he shot the ball from under the basket, bouncing it off the backboard. The ball went through the net.

"All right! I'm a genius!" Sakuragi cheered, lifting his hand triumphantly. Miyagi grinned in relief.

"Good work Sakuragi."  
  
Sakuragi laughed. "Haha, isn't it, Ryo-chin?" The scores read 19-15.

Sendoh dribbled downcourt and passed the ball to Fukuda. Fukuda, however, was outside his comfort zone and was farther from the basket than he'd like. Fukuda quickly shot over Sakuragi anyway.

"Don't rush it!" Sendoh called, albeit a bit too late. The ball clanged off the front of the rim, and Sakuragi ripped down the rebound.

"That redhead jumps so high!" the crowd was becoming very excited, now that the game was close. Sakuragi handed the ball off to Miyagi, and went back downcourt.

Miyagi dribbled carefully, and once again fed Sakuragi in the post. Sakuragi leant backwards, sensing Fukuda's arm again on the small of his back. Sakuragi turned around, facing Fukuda.

"Fukuda, you bastard…" Sakuragi grinned. "Don't you think you're underrating this Tensai? I don't have to drive to the basket."

Sakuragi's eyes suddenly became focused, and his face lost all former humor. He floated into the air, and shot a controlled jump shot, letting the ball fly with a smooth flick of the wrist. The ball swished through the basket. 19-17.

The Sakuragi Army and Haruko were cheering in the stands. "Great work, Hanamachi!"  
  
Sakuragi grinned towards the crowd as he went back downcourt to defend.

Sendoh grasped the ball with surprise. Fukuda looked over at him.

"Did you know he could shoot the jump shot?"  
  
Sendoh shook his head slowly. _That guy really has improved since we last played him…_

Taoka was thunderstruck at the sidelines. _How did Hanamachi learn the jump shot?  
_  
Miyagi punched Sakuragi playfully on the shoulder. "Not bad, not bad! Keep that up!"

Sendoh quickly ran downcourt and passed the ball back to Fukuda. Fukuda faced Sakuragi directly, and Miyagi watched from the other side of the court.

_  
Crap, they're running an isolation play like they did last time… Ryonan is really trying to match Fukuda up against Sakuragi!  
_  
Koshino grinned. "Don't you guys get it? Fukuda's desire to get that ball into the basket will help us win! That time he didn't play basketball due to his suspension drives him to play better than ever!"  
  
Fukuda faked left. Sakuragi fell for it, and flinched. Fukuda took that opportunity and rushed past the redhead to the unguarded basket. He held the ball up in his right hand and went up for the unprotected dunk.

Or so he thought, as a white uniform breezed right to the basket and leaped up. A long arm knocked the ball Fukuda held aside, and the loose ball went straight to Sakuragi.

Fukuda landed, completely shocked. He turned to see Hiroshi under the basket.

Hiroshi looked at Fukuda seriously. "You left the ball unprotected, even though you gave yourself extra height. Not all defensive players will fall for nuances like that."

Sakuragi zipped downcourt and jumped towards the unprotected basket. "Commoner's shot!"  
  
The layup attempt bounced off the front of the rim. The crowd burst into laughter, the Sakuragi Army among them.

"Hahaha, Hanamachi missed the layup!"

Miyagi quickly picked up the loose ball. "Sakuragi!"  
  
Miyagi lobbed the ball upwards, and Sakuragi managed to recover from his embarrassment. "What are you doing, Ryo-chin? That's too—"

Suddenly Sakuragi knew what was going on. He soared upwards and gripped the ball, dunking in the alley-oop. 19-19.

The crowd's laughter turned into cheers. "Whoa, nice dunk redhead!"

Miyagi gave Sakuragi a high-five. "Yeah!"

Miyagi looked at Fukuda. _Yes, you have great desire… but Sakuragi, who loves basketball, had to stay away from basketball for a year too. And now… that craving to help the team, that yearning to play basketball, that longing to win…_

_Sakuragi has it too…_

Haruko clasped her hands tightly together. _Sakuragi-kun, you are still a true basketball player…_

Sendoh's eyes grew deathly serious, and his smile disappeared. He gripped the ball tightly, then exploded downcourt.

Rukawa was left behind as Sendoh blew right past him. Sendoh spun around Mitsui, bounced the ball through Hiroshi's legs, and went for the layup.

Sakuragi jumped up to block him, but Sendoh switched hands in mid-air and laid the ball in with his left hand. 21-19.

The cheers from the crowd grew louder. "Great work, Sendoh! Excellent!"  
  
Miyagi watched in shock. _He's done that move so many times on us…_

Sendoh tossed the ball to Mitsui. "Don't expect to get the lead so early."  
  
Mitsui caught the ball. _Damn that guy…_

Miyagi motioned for the ball, and Mitsui passed to him. Miyagi dribbled straight through Ryonan's defense, and waited for Fukuda to collapse on him too. _Come on, Fukuda… you better get over here!_

Miyagi looked to the side and grinned.

The ball flew from out of the group of Ryonan defenders into Sakuragi's hands. Sakuragi was once again unguarded, and Sakuragi shot the jump shot calmly again a few feet from the basket. It swished neatly through. 21-21.

Mitsui watched all this approvingly. _Miyagi drew the defense straight to him, without any intention to shoot… he wanted to get Sakuragi an open shot. Miyagi… you have really improved your play since becoming captain…_

Miyagi took the ball and passed to Sendoh. "Don't expect us to give up so early, either."  
  
A smile spread across Sendoh's face. "Interesting…"  
  
Hikoichi watched from the sidelines in anticipation. "Sendoh is going to unleash his strength soon…"

Hiroshi managed to overhear this as he jogged past, and continued onwards without a word.

Sendoh bounced to Koshino. "Hey, Koshino, pass it back."  
  
Koshino immediately did so. _Shohoku, be afraid… Sendoh is about to pay you all back!_

Sendoh spun around Rukawa again… but he didn't notice that Rukawa had _let _him get past this time. Sendoh crossed over Mitsui and stopped at the side of the basket. He jumped up for the jump shot.

And suddenly realized the ball wasn't in his hands anymore, but floating in the air.

Sendoh watched in surprise as Hiroshi jumped up and caught the ball. It then dawned on Sendoh— Hiroshi had knocked the ball from Sendoh's hands as Sendoh had gone up for the jump shot.

Hiroshi scanned the floor and saw Miyagi and Sakuragi open. "Guys!" Hiroshi reared back and threw the ball down the length of the court.

Miyagi caught it and without hesitation threw a behind the back pass to Sakuragi. Sakuragi dunked the ball right over the much shorter Uekusa, making the lead 23-21, with 2:28 remaining.

Shohoku had finally taken the lead.


	15. Chapter 14

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction.net. Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews: Mak- Haha, yeah, Sakuragi's playing style is so exciting because it's so damn unpredictable. I actually think that's why no one can really figure him out, because it's hard to tell when he'll be brilliant and when he'll just blend into the background. Heartattack inducing? Probably only for his teammates and friends. His recent scoring run is just a little twist I decided to add, to show that Sakuragi had developed a great deal after the Sannoh game, even though other teams really don't know how much he has.

The reason he shoots so easily over Fukuda is because, as in the manga, Fukuda isn't much of a defensive player. He only plays defense well when he's motivated, and even then, his defense isn't really that great. I tried to flesh that out, since Sakuragi is still getting better while Fukuda hasn't changed much except for his physique.

Thanks for the review.

Fiery Frost- Nice to see you again. Good to hear you're still following the story.

Jade- Hi! It's great to have new readers.

Haha, the fiction really isn't the best in existence, but I'm really flattered you think so. I am definitely trying to pay homage to Inoue's brilliance with the amount of basketball; but I also wanted to do something he didn't too often, and that is show the characters' lives and how their relationships mature and develop. And I hope to sort of bring closure to some of the romantic relationships in Slam Dunk (non-yaoi, mind you).

Thanks for the heartfelt review; I really appreciate it. Hope to see more from you in the future!

Yun Fei- It's great to hear Hiroshi's character is likeable. I always think it's a struggle to introduce characters and develop them, so it's wonderful to hear that you like him.

As for Ryonan and Shohoku's differences, that will be exposed more later.   
  
And don't worry about the story blocks. Take your time; brilliance and creativity will probably hit you soon and you'll astound us all.

The Wobbly Guy- Haha, I've read that article before. It's great to see others have too!  
  
I'm actually planning to have Miyagi pull a Sleepy in a game sometime, but I'm not sure when I should, if at all. I feel I might compromise Miyagi's playing style too much if I do that, but I think I might do it someday anyway. Sendoh and Rukawa's scoring explosion will definitely happen (it's mandatory ), but I'll try to make it more unique.  
  
It's interesting to see that you think Sakuragi and Hiroshi are reminiscent of the Wallaces, when I'm actually basing their defense off two completely different players. Still, it's really interesting to see the way others interpret the story.

Thanks for the review! 

------------

Chapter 14- Mitsui, Man of Fire 

"Wow, Ryonan is using their second time-out!"

The crowd was muttering in surprise amongst themselves. "That Shohoku seems pretty strong…" "That #5 stole the ball from Sendoh! Who is he…?" "Can Sendoh find a way to turn this around?"  
  
Haruko and her friends, along with the Sakuragi Army, were the only smug ones in the audience.

"These guys never even heard of Shohoku, huh?" Youhei said, slicking his hair back. "It's a shame… Shohoku goes and knocks off Sannoh, and yet no one even cares…"

"That's because they didn't win the championship," Haruko replied, turning her head to talk to Youhei. "Brother said that many still think Shohoku's victory over Sannoh was somewhat of a fluke, since we only won by one point."  
  
Youhei scoffed. "Most teams were crushed by Sannoh. Shohoku was probably the only one to take them to the edge and finally knock them off."

Haruko smiled vaguely. "Well…" Then she turned back towards the game, without offering Youhei a clear response. Youhei looked at the back of her head questioningly, but decided to drop it.

Taoka was once again yelling at his players. "YOU IDIOTS!" he roared, his eyes blazing. "You guys let the lead slip away! Even Sakuragi is scoring on you guys! Fukuda and Koshino," he called, motioning towards them. "Double team Sakuragi! Don't worry about that #5, he only seems to know defense. Sendoh, you will be the offensive weapon for the remaining few minutes. Uekusa, just inbound the ball to him. Takuma, you help Sendoh when needed!"  
  
The players all nodded solemnly, obeying orders. However, as they began taking the floor, Sendoh pulled all of them aside.

"No disrespect to Sensei," Sendoh whispered to the players, making sure Taoka didn't overhear. "But disregard the idea of double-teaming Sakuragi. Fukuda can handle it. Plus, Sakuragi isn't really a true offensive weapon yet, he's just getting clear looks at the basket and we underestimated his ability."  
  
Everyone nodded, opting to listen to Sendoh, the captain of the team. "Good. We'll follow Taoka's offensive plan, though." Sendoh then walked off.

Koshino came up to him. "Are you doing this to keep Fukuda's pride?"  
  
Sendoh nodded tentatively. "Yes, I think Taoka-sensei already forgot that Fukuda would rather believe that others count on him to win. If you had helped him guard Sakuragi… he would doubt himself and play poorly. We need Fukuda to play well to win."  
  
Meanwhile, on Shohoku's bench, Anzai-sensei had drawn out a game plan for the Shohoku players.

"You are all playing very well," Anzai said, and then looked at all the players. "Let's crush Ryonan in these last few minutes."

"Mitsui-kun will be the main attack," Anzai continued, patting Mitsui on the shoulder. "Ryonan seems to have forgotten him, and plus, Koshino's defense can't stop Mitsui-kun, right?"  
  
Mitsui grinned with pride. "Yeah, it's easy to get around."  
  
Anzai nodded. "Good. Hiroshi-kun and Miyagi-kun, you will guard the inbounder. Hiroshi-kun will attempt to steal the inbound pass. If the pass somehow succeeds, Miyagi-kun will try to steal the ball from the one with the ball. Sakuragi-kun will be in charge of any rebounds necessary from Mitsui-kun's shots. If the defense catches on to our ploy, let Hiroshi-kun do some shooting as well to throw them off. They will not expect these two to shoot."  
  
Anzai turned towards Rukawa, considering him. "Rukawa-kun, I can tell from the way you are moving on the court… you are saving energy for the second half, am I correct?"  
  
Rukawa looked at Anzai-sensei in slight surprise, but nodded without a word.

"Then to further conserve your energy, you do not need to participate in the offense for now. However, guard Sendoh at all costs. If he somehow gets past, you will be the only one to guard any fast breaks Ryonan will have."

"Mitsui-kun and Hiroshi-kun, although three-pointers are very tempting, do not force them if the opportunity does not present itself. Also, Miyagi-kun and Hiroshi-kun, do not foul at any cost. If you cannot get the steal, let it go. I do not want either of you in foul trouble."

Miyagi nodded. "All right, Sensei. We will show them that we aren't winning by luck." Miyagi turned to his players. "Let's go, then!"  
  
The teams once again stepped onto the court.

The referee presented the ball to Uekusa, who looked for Sendoh immediately. However, a figure soon sauntered up to guard the passing lane.

"Huh?" Uekusa looked upwards, and saw the lanky frame of Hiroshi towering over him, both arms outstretched.

Taoka jumped from the sideline. "What is Shohoku doing?!"  
  
Uekusa looked around desperately, but Hiroshi's enormous wingspan was blocking his vision. After a moment, the referee blew the whistle. "5 second violation!"  
  
_Dr. T: If the inbounding team cannot pass the ball in within 5 seconds, the other team gains possession of the ball._  
  
Miyagi smacked Hiroshi on the back. "Nice work!"  
  
Hiroshi returned Miyagi's smile as the referee handed Sakuragi the ball to inbound.

"Micchi!" Sakuragi bounced the ball right to Mitsui without hesitation.

Mitsui quickly shot the three-pointer before Ryonan's defense realized what was happening. The ball spun through the air, and swished through the net with a crisp sound.  26-21, with 2:19 remaining.

Uekusa took the ball again, and saw he was being intensely guarded by Hiroshi. He lobbed the ball over Hiroshi, but Hiroshi leaped up and his gangly arm stole the ball.

"Ah!" Uekusa gasped. _That guy jumps quite high… and his arms make him even taller!_

 Hiroshi took two long steps to the basket and dunked swiftly. The crowd was stunned. 28-21, 2:14 remaining.

"Uekusa, let me inbound." Sendoh motioned Uekusa aside. Sendoh took the ball from the referee and threw a bullet pass before Hiroshi could get completely into position.

Fukuda caught the ball, but it suddenly disappeared from his hands. Fukuda looked around, astonished. Miyagi was already racing back to Shohoku's basket, ball dribbling steadily.

"That shorty is so fast!" Miyagi's eyes narrowed in anger from the crowd's comments.

"Don't look down on me!" Miyagi yelled, bouncing an amazing pass under Koshino's legs to Mitsui. Mitsui shot a bank shot from the right side of the basket, and the shot cleanly fell through the net. 30-21, 2:01 remaining.

Nori was already in tears. "Ah… Mit-chan! It's so beautiful!"  
  
Mitsui turned towards the audience. "Stop saying that! It's disgusting!"  
  
Sendoh took the ball, but this time Hiroshi had managed to get himself into defensive position. Sendoh looked at Hiroshi, with slight worry on his face.

_He's guarding like a veteran… no wonder Uekusa couldn't pass it in!_ When Sendoh faked a pass left, Hiroshi took a tiny step left, but only enough to leap for the ball if Sendoh passed. Sendoh's mind raced, and he saw a huge figure on the other side of the court. He reared back, and heaved a pass to Takuma.

Takuma jumped and caught the ball, but when he turned he saw Rukawa already guarding him.

"Move, brat," Takuma said. Rukawa didn't give Takuma the privilege of a response as he backed off, daring Takuma to shoot.

Takuma narrowed his eyes. "Don't underestimate me." Takuma decided to take the shot.

Moving with frightening speed, Rukawa raced forward and leaped into the air, knocking the jump shot aside.

The crowd gasped in surprise. "That #11… just blocked the 205 cm center!" "How did he jump so high?! It's like his legs have springs…"  
  
However, the referee's whistle blew, interrupting the chatter. "Goaltending, white #11! Basket counts!"  
  
Rukawa turned, his eyes displaying cold fury at his block being waved off. However, he calmed himself and raised his hand, then walked off to avoid getting into a conflict with the referee. 30-23, 1:50 remaining.

Sakuragi burst into laughter from the other side of the court. "Haha, dumb fox! Trying to show off!"  
  
Miyagi kicked him. "Shut up! Get ready to rebound!"  
  
Hiroshi inbounded the ball to Mitsui, who passed downcourt to Miyagi. Miyagi patiently waited for the duo to come back to their side of the court, and then snapped a pass to Mitsui. Koshino was trying to guard him tightly.

Mitsui stared right at Koshino, then looked left. Koshino turned left too, anticipating a pass. When he looked back, Mitsui was already racing for the basket.

"What?!" Koshino turned, racing back to try and catch up with Mitsui. Mitsui wrapped a pass around Takuma's large body, right to Hiroshi in the left corner. Fukuda and Uekusa stepped up to guard him.

Miyagi grinned. _Good, Ryonan's defense is in disarray… they're just guarding whoever has the ball instead of marking their man!_

"Pass it off, Hiroshi!" Miyagi called.

Hiroshi instead faked a pass to Sakuragi. Uekusa bit on the bait and moved a bit, and Hiroshi simply streaked past him. Hiroshi leaped into the air and flipped a pass right back to Mitsui, who shot another bank shot and scored. 32-23.

Sendoh took the ball, and scanned the floor again. Hiroshi wasn't in his face anymore, and Sendoh found that to be a great relief. Sendoh passed to Fukuda again.

However, a long arm poked the ball free. Sendoh looked in surprise as Hiroshi took the steal again and passed it off to Mitsui, who was ready for the three-pointer.

_He was hiding behind Fukuda… he knew Fukuda has a wider frame, and they are both almost the same height… so he followed him and raced in front of him when I passed!_

Mitsui shot again, his silky smooth form gently pushing the ball to the net. The ball, however, rimmed out.   
  
A white uniform exploded into the air, and the redhead Sakuragi gripped the rebound over Koshino tightly as he landed. He fed the ball right back to Mitsui, who had stepped in from the three-point arc and shot a graceful jumper. The ball swished through, making the scores 34-23, with only 1:03 remaining.

Taoka was fuming at the sidelines, but refrained from using his final timeout, saving it for the second half.

Hiroshi was already gasping for air, exhausted from guarding all the passes and running the court. Sendoh sensed his fatigue and passed the ball to Uekusa, with Hiroshi barely lifting an arm to block it.

Miyagi suddenly drove right between Uekusa and knocked the pass away. Sendoh immediately stepped onto the court to guard Miyagi as Miyagi raced for the basket. Miyagi jumped into the air, and threw the ball behind his head to Mitsui. Mitsui shot the three-pointer from the left corner, and the ball went through the net softly. 37-23.

"Yes!" Mitsui lifted his finger to the air, and backpedaled onto defense.

Sendoh took the ball once again, trying to hide his frustration. Hiroshi stretched his arms back out, but Sendoh could see they were shaking a bit from exhaustion.

_Have to take advantage of this!_ Sendoh heaved the ball downcourt again, and Koshino managed to catch it. Miyagi tried to steal it, but caught Koshino's wrist accidentally.  
  
The whistle rang over the noise that was beginning to swell in the gym. "Reach-in foul, white #4!"  
  
Miyagi sighed. "Damn."  
  
 The referee took the ball and Sendoh once again stepped up to inbound it from Ryonan's side of the court. Sendoh bounced the ball to Fukuda, who threw the ball back to Sendoh. Sendoh elevated into the air, catching the Shohoku defense by surprise as he unleashed a three-pointer that snapped through the net. 37-26, with 0:44 remaining.

Sendoh looked at Mitsui. "You aren't the only one that can shoot threes."  
  
Mitsui stared straight back, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Heh, we'll see who's the better shooter."  
  
Miyagi took the ball and passed it to Rukawa. Rukawa slowly dribbled down the court, shaving off as much time as possible. Rukawa circled around, considering all his options as Koshino and Uekusa slowly left their positions and began approaching Rukawa. Rukawa looked at the clock, then abruptly exploded, driving to the basket while dodging past the two Ryonan defenders.

Sendoh, Takuma, and Fukuda leapt into the air as Rukawa jumped. Rukawa silently dropped the ball off behind him to Mitsui, who took the ball and drilled an unguarded jumper a few feet from the paint. 39-26, with 0:23 remaining.

Sakuragi slapped Mitsui across the back. "You are in good form today, Micchi!"  
  
Mitsui shrugged Sakuragi off. "Hey, get back on defense!"  
  
Uekusa took the ball and inbounded it, with Hiroshi no longer guarding the pass. Sendoh took the ball and raced downcourt, then pulled back as he prepared to take the last shot.

"Guard him, Rukawa," Miyagi said, giving the forward a gentle nudge. Rukawa watched Sendoh carefully as he approached him.  
  
Sendoh stared at Rukawa, then smiled slightly. "You aren't guarding the right person."  
  
Sendoh suddenly dribbled to the side two steps, and lobbed the ball up to Fukuda. Fukuda caught the ball in mid-air, landed, and jumped up to shoot. Sakuragi leaped up to block Fukuda, but was unable to get his hand on it as the ball fell through the net.

However, the scores didn't change. The referee waved his hand. "No basket!"

"What?" Sendoh looked up at the clock, and realized that Fukuda must have shot about a second late. Sendoh sighed. "Damn."  
  
And so half-time began, with the unexpected Shohoku leading by 13 points over Ryonan.


	16. Chapter 15

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction.net. Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews: Yun Fei- Hiroshi actually has many more weak points, despite his strong play… I have yet to reveal them. However, as you mentioned, his stamina is a major problem that he has. Contrary to what some may think, playing strong defense takes an extreme toll on the body, especially when the offensive player is very experienced or physical.

There's no need to envy me… my inspiration has just been really strong, is all. I'm sure you'll be able to write again in no time.

Emberlion- Hi there. Thanks for your comments about my story, and I'm glad to see you're enjoying it.

I will very likely deal with Haruko's character and her relationship with Sakuragi more in the future, because I think it's a subject that just has to be dealt with.

Hope to see you writing someday as well. Thanks again for the review (which it most certainly is ).

Xiaoj- Thanks. I'll try to maintain expectations.

Xoni Newcomer- Stop, you're flattering me too much.

I'll definitely keep the Dr. T lessons because it's an essential part of the Slam Dunk series. It helps introduce those basketball rules and such that most people who aren't familiar with basketball wouldn't know. I also plan to have that little bantering that happens between Sakuragi and Dr. T every once in a while.

I'm happy to see that I portrayed the characters in a believable manner. Thanks a lot for the review; I'll look forward to more in the future.

MistressKC- Really, thank you for your praise. It really makes me happy to see that the story is flowing well and people are enjoying it. Thanks.

--------------

Chapter 15- Anzai, The White Haired Buddha 

"What the hell happened back there?"  
  
Taoka's voice was hoarse and leathery, and a massive rage was barely being compressed. The other players, including Sendoh, were already frightened and didn't say a word.

"We started with a double digit lead," Taoka spat, "and now we're behind by double digits. Do you really expect to enter the IH tournaments if you can't even maintain your lead?" Taoka looked around at his players. "Not only is a rookie outhustling all of you, but even single one of Shohoku's players has been shooting the ball well. You are all very lucky that Sendoh and Takuma have been able to control Rukawa and that #5 from being of any use offensively."  
  
Sendoh felt his stomach clench. _That emotionless kid is saving his energy… he barely took any shots in the first half. He's going to explode, just like the last time we played…_

_…And I still haven't seen how much he has improved since the IH matches!_

Takuma also felt nervous. _That runt has only been playing defense… if he shoots like he did when we played before, we'd probably be behind even more than we are now…_

Taoka sighed, his anger finally abating a bit. "For the second half, we'll run the ball through Sendoh for each possession. No excuses." Taoka looked at Uekusa. "If they try to steal the ball again, make sure you pass it off. Don't panic when you're facing that freakish rookie."  
  
Uekusa nodded uncertainly.

"Sendoh will carry the offensive load. If he has problems, I want Takuma and Fukuda to help him. Koshino will need to stay outside the paint and shoot any open shots if it comes. Understand?"  
  
The Ryonan players agreed silently.

"For defense, utilize the full-court pressure around the seven minute mark, whether we are ahead or not. Until then, just play man-to-man defense. If any of Shohoku's players begins heating up again, I want double teams immediately. Sendoh will be guarding Rukawa on his own, and will be exempt from aiding in the double teams."  
  
Taoka looked at his players seriously. "The rest will be up to you. This year, Ryonan must qualify for the IH tournament. We have never made it before, but I'm sure this year we can. Don't fear Shohoku; without Akagi, they will never be as strong as they once were. Let's take this victory. I'm sure you don't want to disappoint the crowd," he added, a wry smile appearing on his face.

Sendoh bit into a lemon slice, savoring the sour, bitter citrus spreading across his tongue. "We'll try our best, sensei."  
  
Taoka nodded. "I know you all will."

--------------

"That half was a fluke."  
  
Miyagi briskly wiped sweat off his forehead while talking to the players.

Sakuragi didn't like what Miyagi said. "What are you talking about, Ryo-chin? We clobbered them! And a great deal of it was due to this Tensai's effort!"  
  
Miyagi sighed. "That's what I mean."  
  
The other players looked up questioningly.

"Sakuragi's return undoubtedly must have screwed up with some of Ryonan's game plans, as did Hiroshi. This is our first time playing them this season, and I don't think they had any idea what to expect other than what they saw from game tapes or attending matches we played in. That messed up their rhythm." Miyagi paused. "But now that they have seen what we are capable of, they're ready. That coach they have is no idiot. He's found weaknesses in our team before and attacked it, and he most likely will do so again. Ryonan was confused last half. They won't be for the next."

"And that's what we shall use to our advantage."  
  
The players turned to see Anzai-sensei at the doorway.

"Anzai-sensei…" Mitsui muttered, drinking deeply from his Pocari Sweat.

Anzai walked up to the players, with Ayako trailing him.

"Taoka-sensei is a very intelligent man," Anzai commented. "But we shall let him play right into our hands. We will _give_ him a weakness to attack, and surprise him when we reveal that weakness is not a weakness at all, but strength. That weakness has been set up in the first half already."

"What are you babbling about, old man?" Sakuragi was once again pulling on Anzai's massive belly, falling right back into his habit of physically abusing the plump coach. "Shohoku is too strong a team for weaknesses! Especially with this genius returning!"  
  
Mitsui kicked Sakuragi away. "Stop doing that!"

Anzai adjusted his glasses and continued. "Rukawa-kun and Hiroshi-kun are the weaknesses."  
  
Rukawa and Hiroshi both raised their heads.

"Due to the silence on the offensive end in the first half, you two are ticking bombs on our team, waiting to explode. Taoka-sensei will very likely be focusing on our other offensive players: Miyagi-kun's ability to attack the basket, Mitsui-kun's shooting ability, and Sakuragi-kun's unexpected burst of scoring."

"Unexpected?!" Sakuragi fumed, slapping Anzai's chin. "This Tensai planned it all along! Fuku-chan could never have guarded me; neither could that Fish Head or Porcupine Head!"

"Quit it, bastard!" Mitsui smacked Sakuragi over the head, leaving the redhead to nurse the smoking welt that had grown from the punch.

Anzai once again adjusted his glasses. "Hiroshi-kun, I know you are tired. I can tell from the way you move around the court, and even as you are sitting here now, that you are exhausted. But I need you to offer Shohoku but five minutes of offensive power. Rukawa-kun will handle the rest from there."  
  
Hiroshi sat silently, his hands clasped between his legs and a white towel dangling from his head. He looked back up, fatigue already dancing in his eyes. "I'll try my best, sensei."

Anzai-sensei nodded. "After those five minutes, I may bench you if Ayako deems you unable to continue. Do you understand?"  
  
Hiroshi's hands clenched into fists. "Yes, sensei."

"Rukawa-kun, hold back your ability until the first five minutes of the half is over. By then, Ryonan will be completely focused on the other four players, and you will slip under their defensive plans. That will be the time to explode, when they are not ready for you."  
  
Rukawa looked at Anzai-sensei. "All right."

"Sendoh will likely start and finish the next half with full concentration. Do not be provoked into the offense until Hiroshi-kun can offer no more. Guard Sendoh as tightly as possible until then."  
  
Rukawa nodded.

"Hiroshi-kun, Rukawa-kun… do not shoot if the opportunity does not present itself. Pass to anyone that is open, and share the ball."

"That's a given," Miyagi commented.  
  
Anzai nodded and turned to leave. "That is all I can offer you. Don't underestimate Ryonan… but don't doubt your ability. The game can be ours if we so desire it."  
  
__

_A mixture of basketball and psychological play,_ Ayako thought. _No wonder he has been called the "White Haired Demon…" or as he is now, the "White Haired Buddha." He understands both the game and his players…_

Ayako snuck a look at Miyagi, and then turned back when she sensed someone approaching.

"Yes, Sakuragi?"  
  
The tall redhead looked down at the manageress. "Ayako, how many points did I score the last half?"  
  
Ayako looked down at her stats sheet. "Hm… ten points."

"And Rukawa?"

"…Four points."

Sakuragi abruptly laughed, causing Ayako to jump a bit in surprise. "Hahaha! This Tensai has already outscored the dumb fox! Hear that?!"  
  
Miyagi smiled tolerantly. "I never thought I'd hear the day that would happen."  
  
Mitsui looked at the floor. "Amazing. That means hell _has_ frozen over."

"What are you implying, Micchi?!" Sakuragi turned his head toward Mitsui.

"Nothing."

Rukawa sighed. "Dou ahou."

"What?!" Sakuragi spun towards the voice. "You're nothing but a loser fox! Jealous of my ability?"  
  
Rukawa shrugged his shoulders passively. "I don't see you bringing that amount of scoring everyday. Your luck must be very strong today."

"Calm down there, guys," Hiroshi said weakly.

Miyagi cocked his head towards the door. "Guys, I think it's time we get back on the court."

The players swept their towels off. "Right!"  
  
As the players began exiting, Miyagi pulled Hiroshi aside. "Hey, Hiroshi."

"Yes, senpai?"

"Listen, I know you're tired. So, try to minimize your dribbling. Hand me the ball, and I'll try to draw the defense towards me so you can have an easier time getting your shot off. I probably can't guarantee you open shots for all five minutes that Anzai told you to shoot, but I'll try to lessen the load a bit, okay?"  
  
Hiroshi smiled with barely concealed relief. "Thanks a lot, senpai."

Miyagi nodded. "Don't mention it. Let's go, shall we?"  
  
As the two walked out, Ayako smiled as she slowly trailed them. _Miyagi, you act more like a leader everyday…_

The crowd had calmed down during half time, but once the players took the floor again, everyone cheered. "Go Sendoh!" "Hey, it's that Shorty again!"  
  
Miyagi turned toward the voice. "Damnit, stop calling me that!"

The players began lining up to jump ball. This time, it was Sakuragi against Takuma.

Sakuragi grinned. "Oh, Fish Head… you can barely beat me normally, now you're trying to swim upstream?"  
  
Takuma gritted his teeth. "Watch your damn mouth, redhead."

The referee lowered the ball, and tossed it straight up. Sakuragi easily stole the ball from the tall center… but knocked it into Sendoh's hands.

"Idiot, hit it towards your own team!" Miyagi quickly turned to get on defense.

Sendoh raced downcourt and dunked it before Shohoku's defense could recover, making the score 39-28 in a matter of seconds.

Mitsui inbounded the ball to Miyagi. "Be careful."  
  
Miyagi nodded. "I know." Miyagi dribbled towards his basket, then raced in. However, Uekusa managed to poke the ball free.

"Yes! Good work!" Taoka called from the sidelines. Fukuda picked up the loose ball and threw it downcourt to Koshino, who laid the ball in easily. 39-30.

Mitsui took the ball and passed it to Miyagi without a word. Miyagi ran a bit faster this time, and managed to draw three Ryonan players to guard him. His eyes skipped around the floor. _There!_

The ball flew to Hiroshi's hands. Hiroshi shot, but it barely grazed the rim.

"Mine!" Sakuragi soared into the air and ripped down another offensive rebound. Sakuragi then bounced the ball back to Hiroshi, who was being guarded by both Takuma and Koshino.

Hiroshi considered the two.

"Hey, runt… you scared?" Takuma mocked, lifting his arms up high. Hiroshi's eyes flickered with a tiny bit of life.

"No… I'm not afraid."  
  
Hiroshi jumped, and tilted right slightly before gently flipping the ball from his hand. The leaner confused the two defenders, and the ball swished through the net quietly, pushing the score to 41-30.

Hiroshi turned to get back on defense, trying to hide his fatigue as he tilted his head back. "I'll make sure _you _are scared of _me_ before I leave the game."


	17. Chapter 16

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Author's Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating this wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Chapter 16- The Number One Point Guard**

"Nice work, Sendoh!"

The Ryonan players congratulated the spiky-haired point-forward as they went back downcourt to defend, their captain having made yet another basket. About a minute and a half had passed and Shohoku's lead had shrunk, with the scores now at 41-36. Shohoku had failed to score each time they had gotten the ball: Hiroshi was following the game plan and was taking over the offensive load, attempting four shots; however, he had missed on each possession. On the other hand, Sendoh had made all three shots he had attempted in the half. Sendoh's only true rival, Rukawa, had continued to be silent offensively and Ryonan had begun to believe that Shohoku's ace had nothing to offer.

What's worse was that Sendoh still had not been playing at full concentration—the others on his team knew he was utilizing only about 85% of his energy.

It was Shohoku's possession again. Miyagi took the ball from Mitsui and followed the other players downcourt, silently mulling over the situation. Though Hiroshi had failed to put up anymore points, all the Shohoku players still had faith in Anzai's decisions and had continually fed him the ball even as their lead dwindled. Miyagi had tried his best to pull away the defense so Hiroshi would have a better chance to score, but it had grown ineffective after the second trip down because he was just doing the exact same move: driving to the basket and passing back out.

Miyagi sighed, knowing part of the blame fell on him. _We have to stop them from catching up…_

"Miyagi!"

Mitsui's voice, full of alarm, forced Miyagi to instinctively bounce the ball between his legs. It was the correct move as he nearly avoided having the ball stolen from Uekusa. Recognizing that his opponent was now out of position, Miyagi took the opportunity to burst past Ryonan's point guard and raced for the basket.

"Whoa, he's so fast!" the crowd gasped, Miyagi's sheer speed a sight to behold.

Miyagi was able to get to the free-throw line before he sensed the Ryonan players reacting to his drive, looming forms at the corners of his vision indicating that they were about to collapse on him. Miyagi leaped into the air and got ready to shoot a pass to Hiroshi, knowing where the rookie would be in the offense. However, now that he was able to focus on his surroundings, a pang of disappointment hit Miyagi as he saw that he had only attracted Koshino and Takuma instead of a crowd.

_Damn… this won't work anymore!_

As if on cue, Sendoh slipped right between the path of the ball and Hiroshi, timing it just right so Miyagi could only realize his mistake after the ball had left his fingers. Miyagi could only watch as Sendoh knocked the ball aside before securing the steal.

"Shit!" Miyagi cursed as he landed, watching Sendoh and Fukuda sprint towards their basket. None of the Shohoku players were able to adequately defend the fast break, and after a series of hand-offs between Sendoh and Fukuda, Sendoh made a bees-line towards the basket and slammed the ball home. The scores clicked to 41-38.

Nearby, Koshino was grinning with pride, obviously just as excited as his teammates about catching up.

"You see? Our ace has already figured out your tricks!"

"You sure about that?" Miyagi countered, trying to sound nonchalant. Rukawa was the one to handle the ball upcourt, with him and Hiroshi having been the only one that had given chase during the fast-break.

_What should we do now? _Miyagi felt doubt creep into his thoughts. _Hiroshi hasn't scored, Sendoh has caught up with the plan… and we need to maintain this plan for about three more minutes!_ _Hiroshi is not a bad player, but_ _can we really make him the focal point of the offense?  
_  
Miyagi shook his head, partly out of frustration and partly to clear his mind. _No, I have to count on Anzai-sensei's plan. Besides, no one here knows the full capability of Hiroshi in a real-game situation…_

Rukawa was quick to hand the ball off to Miyagi, letting the point guard direct the offense of the team. Feeling that he had no choice but to at least try something different after Sendoh reading the play earlier, Miyagi bounced a pass off to Sakuragi. Sakuragi caught the ball and whirled around, excited to do battle with his old enemy.

"Fuku-chan, I shall defeat you right now."

Fukuda sneered, disbelieving. "Try it."

Sakuragi's eyes blazed in anger. "You dare underestimate this Tensai?"

Sakuragi shot towards the basket, his quickness enough to nearly beat Fukuda. However, a whistle pierced the air and stopped Sakuragi dead in his tracks before he could advance any further.

"Traveling violation!" the referee called.

"What?" Sakuragi turned towards the referee, meaning to protest. Miyagi stopped this with a swift kick to Sakuragi's rear.

"Damnit, you clearly traveled! Did you forget how to dribble?"

Rukawa sighed and shrugged his shoulders helplessly as he went downcourt. _Can't do anything about that guy…_

With the ball now back in Ryonan's possession, Uekusa took the hand-off from the referee and inbounded to Koshino. The vice-captain dropped the ball off for Sendoh after crossing the half court line, trusting their ace player to score. Takuma left the paint to offer Sendoh some support, the team clearly having a play in mind.

Rukawa's eyes flashed right as he guarded Sendoh, sensing the approach of Takuma. _A screen!_

Sendoh quickly dribbled in that direction and Rukawa was forced to maneuver around the huge center blocking his defensive path. That moment of freedom was enough for Sendoh to shoot a nearly open jumper, which touched softly off the backboard and into the net. 41-40.

"Go Sendoh!" The crowd yelled, the Ryonan supporters coming alive again.

Sendoh's biggest fan Hikoichi clapped in delight from the sidelines. "Great work, Sendoh!"

"That was too easy for him," Miyagi mumbled as Mitsui wordlessly handed the ball off. It had been a poor defensive rotation—someone should have covered for Rukawa while he was fighting through the screen.

In order to get Hiroshi a good chance to make his offensive move, Miyagi hurriedly pushed the ball upcourt before Ryonan's defense could properly set up. Miyagi's eyes scanned the floor, ready to deliver the pass but wasn't able to find the lanky rookie.

"Huh?" Miyagi turned around, and after a moment, saw Hiroshi struggling to follow Miyagi's pace.

Anzai considered Hiroshi from the sidelines, noticing that the rookie was already exhausted. "Ayako…"

Ayako looked up from her stats notebook.

"Can Hiroshi still play?"

Ayako studied Hiroshi, gauging his condition.

"Yes, he's just winded. Still, it will probably only be a few more minutes before he won't be able to be as effective."

Anzai nodded, trusting her judgment.

"Kakuta-kun, please prepare to be substituted in soon."

"Yes, sensei." Kakuta got to his feet, beginning to shed his warmups.

On the court, Hiroshi's keen ears had managed to pick up enough of the conversation to suspect that they were uneasy with his condition. Seeing Kakuta getting ready only confirmed his suspicions.

_Is this my limit? Am I going to be taken out after making only one basket after halftime?_

Miyagi stopped his dribble and waited for Hiroshi to cross the half court line before passing it off. The captain looked wary at Hiroshi's lethargic movements.

"Hey, if you can't handle it, pass it off, okay?"

Hiroshi caught the ball and straightened, nodding. No, he knew this wasn't his limit. He still had to pay Takuma back, after all.

* * *

_Osaka, months ago_

"Ugh!"

Hiroshi collapsed onto the cement, having been mowed down by Takuma. The much taller player easily made his way to the basket, now that he no longer had an obstructions, and threw down a powerful dunk.

Takuma looked down at the fallen Hiroshi, making no move to help him up.

"What the hell is this?" he scoffed, displeased. "Some of my friends around here were saying there was a pretty good new player on the courts, but it looks like you aren't much of a challenge at all, huh?"

Hiroshi pushed himself back up, blood trailing his left knee. He grimaced as he tried to dust off the wound, bits of gravel having gotten lodged in his skin.

The street courts were empty today, save for some of Takuma's friends. Hiroshi was on a trip here with his relative. Unfamiliar with anyone in the area and with little else to do, Hiroshi was devoting his free time to basketball. Hiroshi didn't think he had played well enough to warrant his presence being spread around, but it might have had to do with his height—there were few players on the street courts that were as tall as he was. It was the final day of their trip here and Hiroshi had thought that it would be another uneventful day of playing nameless faces.

It had not been so. Takuma had been waiting for him. As soon as Hiroshi had set eyes on the mammoth player, he knew the competition today would be far different than before. Takuma had wasted no time in challenging Hiroshi—and Hiroshi had accepted, wanting to test himself.

Unfortunately, he was getting clobbered.

Takuma almost completely outmatched him in size and strength, not to mention he had the privilege of playing organized basketball for a long while. At the time, Hiroshi hadn't joined any basketball clubs before and his only experience playing with others was through street basketball.

Takuma scoffed again, irritated at Hiroshi's silence. "All that height and no skill. What a waste."

Hiroshi forced a weak smile. "Sorry to let you down, then."

Takuma's eyes softened a tad, as if recognizing he was going a bit too far. "Then why did you even accept my challenge?"

Hiroshi's smile grew a bit stronger. "That should be obvious."

Takuma nodded sagely, knowing what Hiroshi meant. Of course. Basketball players shared a love for the sport.

"Don't do what you can't. We can play again when you're not as awful," Takuma advised. Hiroshi ignored the words, instead reaching for the loose ball at his feet.

He started to dribble again.

"Oh, you wanna keep going?" Takuma's moment of humanity seemed to be over as he sneered. Despite his earlier words, Takuma seemed to think Hiroshi was at least worthwhile enough to keep playing against.

"You sure are a stupid one."

* * *

_the game_

Hiroshi steeled himself, forcing his muscles into action. With a burst of renewed speed he took off, managing to get a step into Ryonan's defense before they could collapse on him. He quickly leaped up and shot a smooth jumper before Takuma could guard him and the ball swished through the net, finally ending Shohoku's drought.

Upon seeing Hiroshi's jumper, a smile began to form on Anzai's lips. It appeared as if Hiroshi would be able to continue his offensive plan after all.

Uekusa took the loose ball and shot an absent-minded inbounds pass towards Sendoh. Too late, he sensed a presence; by the time he had looked back up, Hiroshi, who had never left the vicinity, had stolen the pass and laid it through the basket. It was a major error that drew Taoka to his feet.

"Uekusa!" Taoka roared at his point guard. "Keep your head in the game!"

Hiroshi tapped the ball back towards Uekusa before crouching again into defensive position, aiming to try and get another steal. Uekusa's eyes scanned the floor, now on guard. Hiroshi followed Uekusa's every movement, trying to confuse Uekusa—however, the Ryonan point guard instead leaned back and heaved a pass towards mid-court, where Sendoh had cleverly positioned himself so Hiroshi would have no chance to truly get a steal.

With the ball now secure, Sendoh handed the ball off to Fukuda before giving the other player space. Fukuda wasted no time in beating Sakuragi off the dribble, and far too easily, got in close enough to the basket to add another two points to Ryonan's score. 45-42.

Noticing that Hiroshi had never even gotten back in time to play defense due to a combination of fatigue and Fukuda's quick scoring, Miyagi clapped his hands together to catch Mitsui's attention. "The ball!"

Mitsui immediately caught on and launched a chest pass to Miyagi. Miyagi took one dribble forward before shooting a wild pass downcourt, over the heads of the Ryonan players that were rushing back onto defense.

Hiroshi's eyes traced the ball and caught it without even the need to move, Miyagi's pass having been astoundingly accurate. He hopped up and laid the ball in before Ryonan's defense even reached him.

"So lucky!" Koshino muttered, upset that Hiroshi had gotten an easy basket just because he had not played defense well. Sendoh, however, was more admiring of Miyagi's decision-making.

_Having a solid awareness of all your players… apparently your skills have gone up a bit since the retirement of Maki and Fujima, Miyagi._

"Uekusa, I'll inbound." Sendoh took the ball from Uekusa and looked around the floor, wary of Hiroshi attempting another steal. With the rookie nowhere in sight, Sendoh shot a pass out… and a hand fluidly darted out and knocked the ball off course.

Sendoh's eyes widened in shock, noticing Hiroshi, as if appearing out of nowhere, was standing in plain sight and chasing the ball down. _How did he…?_

Hiroshi turned on his heel, preparing to cut for the basket before he realized Sendoh was already in front of him, eyes narrowed.

It suddenly hit Sendoh, what had happened. It was the only possible explanation, for the freshman's sudden reappearance on the floor: Hiroshi had been standing, out of bounds, in Sendoh's blind spot when he had been looking for him.

_Dangerous. If the referee had caught him, or if he had not timed the steal perfectly…_

Hiroshi abruptly leapt into the air, aiming to make a long jumper. Sendoh followed after, ready to block the shot. Hiroshi faded backwards and, with a movement that appeared almost lazy, launched the ball just barely over Sendoh's outstretched arm. The ball arched incredibly high into the air, the angle forced in this manner due to Sendoh's defense.

Takuma, who was ready under the basket for the rebound, could only watch the path of the ball with a frown. _That stupid guy, forcing a shot like that… there's no way—_

The ball managed to hit almost the top of the backboard and bounce diagonally through the basket, completing what could only be termed a lucky shot. The crowd erupted, shocked at the seemingly impossible shot.

"What the… he made it?"

"That guy shot over Sendoh!"

Hiroshi was unable to catch his balance and fell to the floor, the need to lean backwards for the fadeaway apparently having been more than he was used to. His eyes stared blankly at the ceiling in exhaustion. Miyagi and Mitsui raced up to him, concerned.

"Hey Hiroshi, you okay?" Miyagi asked worriedly.

Hiroshi forced a smile, still staring at the ceiling. "By the sound of the crowd, looks like I made it."

Mitsui grinned, despite himself. "Yeah, nice shot."

Hiroshi sighed, stating the obvious. "I think… I want a substitution now. That shot was really lucky… really lucky…"

Miyagi motioned for a substitution, and Kakuta, who had been warming up all the while, was quick to step onto the court. Meanwhile, Sakuragi helped Mitsui take Hiroshi back to the bench. Anzai gave him a small smile as the freshman placed a towel over his head.

"Good work."

Hiroshi didn't look up, though his voice was proud. "Thanks you, sensei."

The clock read 15:06 and the scores were now 49-42. Miyagi shot a confirmatory glance towards Rukawa, who returned it with a small nod.

_Right… here we go,_ Miyagi thought, getting ready to guard Ryonan's attack. _The last phase of our plan begins now…_

Distracted, Miyagi didn't even notice until it was too late that play had already begun, with Uekusa dashing past him in a blur. Miyagi turned around just in time to see Takuma, now with the ball, easily shoot over Kakuta. 49-44.

"Get your head in the game man," Mitsui reprimanded the captain, upset as he took the inbounds out. "They'll push the ball harder to take advantage of our size disadvantage now."

Miyagi silently berated himself for the lapse in concentration. "Got it."

The ball now in his hands, Miyagi raced downcourt and shot a pass off to Rukawa. Rukawa stared down Sendoh for a brief moment before making a convincing fake to the left. Sendoh hesitated, his muscles tightening for a second—and that was enough for Rukawa to zip past him. Before any other player could react, he was already soaring through the air, arm outstretched, bringing the ball down in a thunderous dunk right over Koshino and Takuma.

The whistle blew, piercing through the crowd's collective gasp. "Shooting foul, blue #5!"

Rukawa let go of the rim and gave Sendoh a challenging glare before walking to the free throw line. Sendoh could only shake his head, a smile on his face—he knew what Rukawa was planning now.

Miyagi nudged the nearby Mitsui, a grin now on his face.

"Ready for the final stretch?"


	18. Chapter 17

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction.net. Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews: Jade- Oh dear, no need to flatter me anymore. Thanks a lot for your comments, though.

Well, I plan to put some romance in this story, although it won't be very excessive. However, rest assured, it definitely will not be yaoi. I'm not sure I can write good romance, though, so fear.

Thanks for reviewing my story again, and sticking along for the ride. I'll try to continue writing well.

Yun Fei- Thanks for the comments, although you are exaggerating my writing abilities a bit.

Hiroshi's stamina is weak because he never played organized, competitive basketball before high school. Just street ball; so he was never pushed to his hardest even though he gains experience, including knowledge that isn't very common on the court.

Yeah, the last part was probably a bit cheeky. I was interested to see who would comment about that. Heh, thanks a lot for reviewing the chapter again!

Mak- All right man, I'll try to make it interesting. Thanks for reading.

Xiaoj- Thanks for reviewing.

Migo- It's nice to hear you enjoy the fic., and thanks a lot for reviewing.

In some ways, I felt that I've dug myself a hole in making Hiroshi so based off Tayshaun Prince. It was a good idea at the time, but now I plan to make him evolve into his own player as the story goes on. Still, I will keep him as a sort of defense and team first player.

You know, I also really want Shohoku to have more capable players. Guys like Kogure in the original Slam Dunk, who could come off the bench and produce and lead, is a really nice thing to have in a team. However, I've always believed that Shohoku's five starters are so incredibly talented and their respective skills complement so well with their chemistry that to give them even better players off the bench is, as you put it, an upset in the balance. Shohoku is an incredible team, but not without its weaknesses, and even though the bench doesn't have that many skills per say, they all try their best and support one another—and I feel that's enough.

------------

Chapter 17- Rukawa, The Fox 

Rukawa took the ball, dribbled it three times, spun it around in his hands, and shot. The ball swished through the net, making the scores 52-44.

"Nice job, Rukawa!" Miyagi patted Rukawa's shoulder.

"Good job," Mitsui commented, running along the two.

"Bad job, fox," Sakuragi interjected sourly, racing past the three. _But then again… he'll lose to Sendoh in the end anyway… so what do I have to worry? I just have to beat Sendoh, and I will be the champion!_ Sakuragi grinned to himself.

"Damnit, pay attention Sakuragi!" Miyagi shouted, breaking into Sakuragi's daydream.

"Huh?" Sakuragi turned to see Fukuda lay the ball off the glass, drawing Ryonan a little closer as the ball went through the net. 52-46.

Rukawa sighed. "Dou ahou…"

"Go to hell, damn fox!" Sakuragi fumed as he raced back onto offense.

Miyagi took the ball and inbounded to Mitsui, who passed it right back. Miyagi slowly went downcourt.

_Okay, Rukawa should be at full power very soon… just have to pay attention to Sendoh, who will try to respond…_

Miyagi bounced the ball to Rukawa. Rukawa faced Sendoh, and Sendoh crouched into defensive position.

"You won't get past again."  
  
Rukawa pump faked slightly, and then faked a pass back to Miyagi before trying to drive left. Sendoh didn't fall for any of the fakes and reached in to steal.

Rukawa quickly pulled the ball back. _Shit…_

Sendoh's smile was still the same, but his eyes were slowly becoming more concentrated.   
  
Rukawa tried to shoot a fadeaway over Sendoh, but it clanged off the rim. Takuma and Fukuda both reached up to get the rebound.

"Useless fox!" Sakuragi shouted, leaping the highest out of the players and catching the rebound in his left hand. He swung the ball to his right hand to get a better grip around the ball as he settled back onto the court.

"Wow, nice rebound redhead!" the crowd looked impressed at Sakuragi's rebound, although rebounds usually do not look particularly flashy.

Sakuragi passed the ball back out to Mitsui. "Micchi!"  
  
Mitsui took the ball and released it from the three-point line. Taoka shook his head from the sidelines. _He released it too fast…_

The ball bounced off the back of the rim. Mitsui scowled. _Damn…_

Sakuragi ran right, dodging Koshino and soared back into the air, ripping down another rebound. Sakuragi's eyes caught Miyagi racing in, and he swiftly passed the ball to Miyagi before Ryonan could catch on. Miyagi touch-passed the ball back out to Rukawa.

Rukawa caught the ball and shot again. However, Sendoh blocked the ball as it left Rukawa's hand and the ball flew into the stands.

The whistle blew. "White ball!"

"Nice block, Sendoh!" Uekusa praised. Sendoh didn't respond, instead focusing completely on guarding Rukawa.

Mitsui took the ball and inbounded back to Rukawa. Rukawa faced the basket again.

"You're still playing the same as always," Sendoh said.

Rukawa narrowed his eyes. "No…"  
  
Rukawa faked a drive, then took a step backwards and shot the ball again before Sendoh could approach to defend. The ball swished through the net.

Rukawa turned to get back onto defense. "…I'm just seeing if _you_ are playing the same as always."

Sendoh grinned. _This is getting interesting…_

"Uekusa, pass to me."

"Yeah, that was the plan…" Uekusa nodded, flipping the ball towards Sendoh. Sendoh took the ball and jogged downcourt, facing against Rukawa from the perimeter.

Rukawa watched Sendoh carefully. Sendoh's smile had faded, and he looked deathly serious.

_This is it…_ Taoka thought. _He's at his full power! Rukawa doesn't stand a chance!_  
  
Sendoh chose not to drive in and leaped into the air, shooting the three-pointer slightly off from the center of the arc. Everyone watched the ball fly through the air and snap through the net. 54-49. Sendoh didn't smile as he went back to defend. "Prepare to lose."  
  
Rukawa stared straight back at him. "Those are my words."  
  
Miyagi took the ball from Mitsui and ran downcourt, passing the ball to Rukawa again. Rukawa faced Sendoh, and looked slightly over his shoulder.

_He's going to pass to that redhead…_ Sendoh thought, shifting right a bit. Rukawa did a crossover and rushed left, going past Sendoh and shooting a quick floater over Takuma with his left hand. The ball clanged in. 56-49.

Miyagi sighed. _Well, looks like the game will be fought between those two…_

Sendoh caught the ball as Uekusa inbounded to him and once again jogged downcourt. He tried to burn some time off the clock by wandering around the perimeter before facing Rukawa and making a motion to drive in. Rukawa took a step back, but Sendoh instead stopped and took a step backwards too—copying Rukawa's move from earlier.

And he stepped right behind the three-point arc.

_No way…_ Rukawa thought as Sendoh shot another three-pointer. The ball swished again, bringing the scores to 56-52. This time, Sendoh gave Mitsui a look.

"Looks like I'm the better shooter," Sendoh said, going back to defend. Mitsui stared at his back. _Damn him…_

Rukawa once again got the ball from Miyagi and faced Sendoh. Rukawa began to dribble the ball a bit higher, almost inviting Sendoh to try and steal. Sendoh didn't budge. Rukawa then quickly stutter-stepped and faked a crossover before driving right, tripping Sendoh as his feet had become tangled trying to defend the series of dribble tricks. Sendoh managed to catch his balance, but Rukawa had already blown past him. Rukawa stopped just short of Takuma's defensive area and shot another jump shot, swishing it through the net. 58-52.

Rukawa gave Sendoh a cold glare. "Having some trouble there?" Rukawa asked, jogging back.

_He's better…_ Sendoh thought, taking the ball. _He's faster, and he seems to have improved his one-on-one game even more…_

Sendoh dribbled the ball around, taking more time off the clock. Sendoh abruptly drove to the left side of the basket, and then passed the ball high to Takuma. Sendoh sprinted towards the basket, and Rukawa followed. However, Sendoh stopped, and took three quick steps backwards until he was outside the three-point arc in the left corner before Rukawa could recover. Takuma passed back to the now-open Sendoh and Sendoh shot another three-pointer. The swish of the net made the scores 58-55.

"Wow, Sendoh just made three three-pointers in a row!" The crowd was once again cheering for Ryonan and Sendoh's explosion of shooting.

Even Miyagi looked stunned. _Sendoh never shot that well from behind the arc when we played…He's now truly an all-around player!_

Kakuta passed the ball in, but Sendoh stole the ball as he raced to defend from the corner.

"Shit!" Kakuta cursed, getting ready go guard Sendoh. Sendoh leaped into the air and dunked the ball, with Kakuta slapping Sendoh's arm as he tried to guard the taller forward.

"Shooting foul, white #9!"

Sendoh raised his arm in triumph, and the Ryonan players grouped around to congratulate him. Rukawa had a dark look on his face as Sendoh prepared to shoot his free throw.

Sendoh took the ball, and bent slightly. He briskly shot the free throw, and the ball swished through. The scores were now tied at 58-58, with 8:58 remaining.

Hiroshi sat disappointed at the sidelines. _Why can't I help them? Damn…_

"Sensei…" Hiroshi croaked, and coughed. He suddenly realized how dehydrated he was. Hiroshi took his Pocari Sweat and drank deeply before trying to talk again. "Sensei," Hiroshi said a bit louder. Anzai heard him this time and turned his head to face the rookie.

"Yes, Hiroshi-kun?"

"I think I've rested pretty well, can I go back in?"

Anzai looked at the scoreboard and the timer, and contemplated for a few moments. "Hiroshi-kun, I'll let you back in when I think it is time."

Hiroshi opened his mouth to complain, but shut it. "Right sensei."

Miyagi passed the ball to Rukawa again. Rukawa scanned the floor, looking to pass. Sendoh involuntarily took a step backward, anticipating a chance to steal. Instead, Rukawa followed Sendoh's step backward with a step forward and shot the ball from near the free throw line. The ball bounced around the rim and dropped through, giving Shohoku the lead again.

Rukawa gave Sendoh another cold look. "Gaining the lead won't be so easy."  
  
Sendoh smiled slightly. "Oh, trust me… Ryonan will take the lead at least once during these final minutes."

Uekusa gave the ball to Sendoh, who dribbled upcourt again. He quickly faked a three-pointer and rushed past the now airborne Rukawa.

"He faked out that #11!" the crowd gasped. The Rukawa Brigade, quiet throughout most of the match, sunk into an even deeper silence after Rukawa fell for Sendoh's fake. It was obvious they were not pleased with their basketball idol during this game.

Sendoh pushed the ball ever closer to the basket and shot a floater over Sakuragi, once again copying Rukawa. The ball hit the backboard and landed in, tying the scores up at 60.

Miyagi took the ball as Mitsui inbounded to him. _Damn… what are we going to do? Should I rely on Rukawa all the way? Or…_

"Hey, pass."  
  
Miyagi turned towards Rukawa, who had his palms facing towards the point guard as he waited for the pass. Miyagi sighed and flipped the ball over to him.

If Rukawa believes he can do it, and Anzai-sensei believes he can, then there must be hope…

_After all, he's Shohoku's ace!_

Rukawa titled his body slightly to protect the ball from Sendoh and surveyed the court. He looked straight at Mitsui and cocked his head left a bit. Mitsui saw the motion and quickly cut towards the basket as Rukawa lifted the ball to pass in Mitsui's direction. Sendoh's hand involuntarily reached out to try and block his vision—only to obstruct air as Rukawa breezed right past Sendoh and laid the ball in with his left hand. 62-60.

The crowd began sinking into a silence, immersed in the intensity of the game. Hikoichi looked around nervously from the Ryonan bench. _Why is it so quiet…?  
  
_

"Guys!" Hikoichi stood up and faced the Ryonan supporters. "Come on, cheer! They need our support!" He waved his hands at the crowd, trying to stir them into action. "Cheer!"

The crowd's hush grew to a rumbling roar, and then burst into feverish screams. "Go Ryonan!" "Go Sendoh!" "Beat Shohoku!"  
  
The Shohoku players looked up at the cheering fans in slight awe. Sakuragi, usually the most boisterous of the group, was strangely quiet.

They cheered for us in the Sannoh game so much… have they forgotten? Have they forgotten what this Tensai did? Have they forgotten what Shohoku did?

"They don't support Shohoku anymore… huh?" Sakuragi asked abruptly. Miyagi looked at the redhead.

"Maybe… it's because we're the underdogs again," Miyagi said hesitantly.

Mitsui shrugged. "Makes no difference." He faced his teammates.

"Let us be underdogs. Our bite will hurt that much more."

Sendoh dribbled the ball past the three conversing Shohoku players without warning, leaving most of the defense behind. The three players turned around with dread.

"We need to stop talking while the game is going on," Miyagi commented, racing to catch up. Sendoh, however, had already gotten past the slower Kakuta and was facing Rukawa one-on-one almost directly under the basket.

Sendoh considered his chances of making the shot and opted to smoothly pass the ball behind him to Fukuda as Rukawa reached in to steal. Fukuda shot over the two players and the ball banked in, once again bringing the teams to a stalemate.

Anzai tapped Hiroshi on the shoulder. "Hiroshi-kun, substitute for Kakuta."  
  
Hiroshi couldn't hold back his smile. "Right, Sensei." He slipped the towel off his head and walked over to the scorer's table.

"I'd like to substitute #9, please."

Meanwhile, Rukawa's jumper had clanged off the front of the rim. Sakuragi instantly seized the offensive rebound. "Idiot fox! Watch this! Jump shot!"  
  
Sakuragi released the ball awkwardly and the ball hit the top of the backboard before luckily bouncing into Kakuta's hands. Kakuta tried to give the ball to Miyagi, but Uekusa easily saw through the pass and stole it.

"Sendoh!" Uekusa threw the ball downcourt to Sendoh. Sendoh caught the ball and turned… only to find the ball missing from his hands. Mitsui had stolen the ball before Sendoh could even dribble.

"Get back, guys!" Mitsui commanded, taking the loose ball and passing off to Miyagi. Miyagi tapped it right back to Rukawa without hesitation. Rukawa raced forward to dunk, with a flurry of hands reaching in to steal. A whistle blew, and Rukawa instinctively heaved a random shot at the rim that bounced out.

"Reach-in foul, blue #6!"  
  
Koshino turned towards the referee. "What?! I didn't…"

"Raise your hand, Koshino," Taoka called sternly from the sidelines.

Koshino raised his hand, trying to suppress his rage as he took responsibility for the foul. Hiroshi took the floor, touching fists with the winded Kakuta as the two switched places.

Mitsui looked at the lanky defender. "Hey, welcome back. Think you can hold up?"  
  
Hiroshi shrugged. "I'll do what I can."

Miyagi took the ball out to inbound, and bounced the ball to Rukawa on the perimeter.

Dr. T: Since Rukawa was fouled before he was in the act of shooting, Shohoku only gains possession of the ball. If Ryonan was over the foul limit, then any other foul would have allowed a Shohoku player to shoot free throws. However, this was not the case here.

Rukawa faced Sendoh again, bringing the ball below his waist. Sendoh made a motion to steal, and Rukawa quickly swung the ball left. However, Sendoh anticipated it and his right hand flared out and tapped the ball out of Rukawa's hands. The ball bounced off Mitsui's heel and began bouncing out.

Mitsui turned in a panic. "Guys, the ball touched me last!"

"Oh crap…" Miyagi muttered, racing to retrieve the ball. He leaped to snag the ball back, but realized that he was too far to reach it, even with the momentum propelling him forward.

A figure approached from his left and also floated through the air to get the ball. Miyagi looked slightly to his left, and saw Hiroshi's long arm reaching out to save the ball.

Shit… he won't get it either!

"Move!"  
  
Sakuragi dashed in from the right and hopped into the air, both arms outstretched. He managed to grip the ball with his fingertips right before the ball bounced out of bounds, and randomly threw it over his head.

"Someone, get—"

His words were interrupted as the three Shohoku players collided into each other, slamming into Ryonan's bench players.

Sendoh and Uekusa ran to catch the ball. Right before jumping, they felt a slight tug on their uniforms. Turning back, they saw a flash of white blur between the two and snag the loose ball.

Mitsui grinned, and the ball disappeared from his hands as he bounced it straight to Rukawa. Rukawa caught the ball and raced towards the basket, drawing Fukuda and Takuma to him. He faked a pass back to Mitsui as he stopped his dribble, then soared into the air. Fukuda and Takuma both reached out to block Rukawa's lay up.

A whistle pierced the air as the ball gracefully went over Fukuda and Takuma's arms and hit the inner rim of the basket before bouncing in.

"Basket counts! Blue foul, #12!"

"Damnit, he pulled on their jerseys!" Koshino cursed at the referee, pointing at Mitsui as the crowd clapped for Shohoku's hustle play.

The referee shook his head, with the whistle dangling from his chest. "I didn't see it." Koshino opened his mouth to complain further, but Sendoh gripped his shoulder and pulled him aside.

"Don't complain. If you get a technical, it will hurt us more. Besides, that Shohoku player is very experienced, and I'm sure he learned little tricks along the way. Just let it go, Koshino," Sendoh concluded, staring straight at Koshino. "Winning is more important."  
  
Koshino sighed, and nodded.

Mitsui and Rukawa approached the group of fallen Shohoku players at Ryonan's bench. "You guys okay?"

Miyagi lifted his head. "Uh… ouch…"

Sakuragi pushed himself back up without much problem, still energetic as ever. "You damn fox! You almost got us in trouble!"  
  
Hiroshi held Ryonan's upturned bench for support as he stood up. "Eh… I'm fine. Did we score?"  
  
Mitsui nodded. "Rukawa's about to go shoot his free-throw."

Sakuragi helped Miyagi up, and the five stepped back onto the court, leaving the bewildered Ryonan bench players and a disarrayed mess behind them.

Rukawa held the basketball as the players got into position. He did his usual free throw routine and swished the shot, bringing Shohoku up 65-62.

Uekusa took the ball and inbounded right back to Sendoh. Sendoh dribbled the ball upcourt leisurely, taking his time and letting seconds burn away. Rukawa narrowed his eyes, remembering this familiar routine. _Another three-pointer…?_

Sendoh jumped into the air abruptly, again from outside the three point arc. Rukawa jumped right after him, anticipating the three-pointer. However, Sendoh turned his head to the right and turned the shot to a pass, throwing the ball straight to Takuma.

Takuma caught the ball and shot a quick turnaround jumper… only to have the shot swatted away by Hiroshi. Takuma turned around and chased after the loose ball, and turned to shoot again. This time, it was Sakuragi who appeared in front of him and blocked the shot with massive force, sending the ball straight into the audience.

Sakuragi landed and glared at Takuma. "Fish Head, don't try that under my basket!"

Hiroshi shook his head and chuckled, walking off to defend the other side of the basket. Youhei grinned from the stands.

"Sakuragi is obviously very determined to assert his authority in this comeback game, isn't he?"

Haruko clasped her hands together and nodded, beaming. "Yes, Sakuragi-kun seems to be playing without any great loss in skill… that's very good news…"  
  
Youhei smiled. "Yeah, it is." The Sakuragi Army nodded in agreement with the conversation, holding their makeshift noisemakers in their laps.

The referee got the ball back from the crowd, and handed it off to Koshino on the sidelines. Koshino looked around, and passed the ball to Sendoh.

Sendoh barely touched the ball before bouncing it to Takuma again. Takuma in turn swept the ball over to Fukuda, who sent the ball right back to Sendoh. The quick ball rotation disoriented the Shohoku defense a bit, giving Sendoh room to brush past Rukawa and shoot a jumper. The ball floated through the air and snapped through the net, cutting Shohoku's lead down to one.

The crowd cheered again. "Go Sendoh!"

Anzai considered everything from the bench carefully. Ayako looked worriedly at the coach. "Sensei, how can we stop Sendoh…?"  
  
The plump coach remained quiet. Ayako turned back to the game, the worry still written on her face. _We can't seem to pull the scores away…_

Mitsui passed the ball into Miyagi, who spotted Rukawa racing downcourt. Miyagi heaved a pass to Rukawa, and then regretted it as the ball left his hand. _Crap, that pass was too dangerous…_

Miyagi's fears turned out to be true, as Sendoh split between Rukawa and the ball and stole it. The spikey-haired player exploded downcourt with four long strides before launching a pass to Fukuda.

"He's wide open!" the Ryonan bench cheered. "Nice pass, Sendoh!"

Fukuda caught the ball and jumped, aiming to dunk the ball. Suddenly, a lengthy arm swept through the air and hit Fukuda's arm hard enough for him to lose control of the ball as Fukuda dunked nothing but air.

The referee immediately blew the whistle. "Shooting foul, white #5!"  
  
Hiroshi raised his arm without hesitation, an indistinct look on his face.

"You call that a block, Hiro?" Sakuragi asked. "You're supposed to hit the ball, not the arm!"  
  
Miyagi sighed. "My fault, Hiroshi. I know you had to foul him to stop the easy shot."  
  
Hiroshi shook his head. "Don't worry about it, captain."

Fukuda sauntered to the free-throw line and took the ball. He released the shot without hesitation and the ball went through the net with a very low arc. The scores stood tied at 65.

"Good shot, Fukuda!" Koshino complimented.

The referee handed the ball back to Fukuda, who shot the ball swiftly once again. This, time, the ball hit the inner part of the rim and bounced out.

"Rebound!" the players called, leaping into the air. Rukawa snagged the rebound this time, and passed it to Miyagi without hesitation. Miyagi pushed the ball upcourt and zipped past Ryonan's defense before laying the ball in fluidly.

Uekusa looked at Miyagi in awe as the point guard went back to defend. _So fast…_

Sendoh looked at the clock. 4:31 remaining, with Ryonan down by two.

Gripping the ball in his hands, he sighed. _Shohoku won't give us the lead so easily…_   
  
Sendoh began dribbling downcourt, the rest of Ryonan's members trailing him like an army trailing its general.

…But there's plenty of time left. We'll crush them!


	19. Chapter 18

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews: Mak- Haha, thanks for still reading man. I'm sorry I didn't update sooner; some things came up and let's just say I didn't manage my schedule well enough to give me time to write.

--------------

**Chapter 18- Winner**

Rukawa crouched low, waiting for Sendoh to approach. Deep within Rukawa's heart, he felt both shock and disappointment. The off-season training, playing against the "number one high school basketball player" Eiji Sawakita, the numerous practices, scrimmages, and even that one-on-one game against Sendoh prior to the Sannoh match… all for naught.

Sendoh's abilities had increased exponentially. And even Rukawa realized, with Sendoh taking his time dribbling onto offense, that Akira Sendoh was now the premier basketball player in Japan. Everything in his game had improved: from long-range shots, to defense, to decision-making; even his already stellar passing abilities appeared more fluid than before. And the shock that was nestled in the back of Rukawa's mind was due to one reason.

Sendoh was playing even better than Eiji was last year.

_How… how did he get so good?_ Rukawa wondered, shifting his defensive posture a bit as Sendoh crossed the half-court line. _He didn't even make the IH tournaments last year…_

Sendoh stared at Rukawa, then looked beyond the ace player of Shohoku.

_A pass…?_ Rukawa thought, not giving any leeway for Sendoh to drive in. Sendoh stopped his dribble and held the ball high above his head, looking around the court. He threw a pass straight to Koshino, and then went right. Rukawa quickly followed, but realized Sendoh wasn't in front of him.

_What the…_ Rukawa turned his head the opposite direction, and saw that Sendoh had faked a drive without the ball. Koshino sent the ball right back to the now-open Sendoh.

Hiroshi realized that Rukawa couldn't get back to defend and quickly raced over to cover for him. Sendoh smoothly shot a jumper, and Hiroshi accidentally touched Sendoh's elbow as the ball released.

The whistle blew just as the ball went right through the net.

"Basket counts! Shooting foul, white #5!"  
  
Hiroshi sighed in disappointment as the crowd burst into cheers. Anzai-sensei's words echoed in his mind. _You have never faced a team as strong as this before…_

_And I've never faced a player this good, either,_ Hiroshi thought bitterly, lining up as Sendoh went to take his free-throw. Sendoh bent slightly and shot the free throw with a quick flick of the wrist, again making the shot. Ryonan finally took the lead, 68-67, with only 4:03 remaining.

Miyagi took the ball out, astonishment written on his face. _Sendoh hasn't missed a single shot in this game! _

Miyagi passed the ball to Mitsui, who gave it to Rukawa. Rukawa dribbled downcourt, also taking his time.

"Rukawa, what the hell are you doing?!" Sakuragi said from under the basket. "You're wasting time!"  
  
Rukawa didn't respond as he let seconds burn away. Sendoh narrowed his eyes. _What are you planning…?  
_  
Rukawa paused as soon as he crossed the half-court line, and then exploded towards the basket. Sendoh was struck off guard and tried to recover as he chased after Rukawa. Rukawa leaped into the air, then passed the ball off to Mitsui. Mitsui took one step to his right, dodging the defending Koshino and shot the jumper gracefully, swishing the ball through the net. Shohoku pulled ahead, once again.

"Neither team plans to give up, huh?" Noma said, picking at his moustache a bit.

"Nope," Youhei replied. "Although you could say… the whole match is coming down to Rukawa and Sendoh."  
  
Uekusa pushed the ball upcourt and bounced the ball to Sendoh. Miyagi instantly read the pass and stuck his hand out, trying to steal. The ball bounced off his hand and went out of bounds.

"Ah, damnit," Miyagi muttered.

"Nice try, Miyagi," Mitsui consoled as he jogged past the point guard. Miyagi went over to Uekusa to guard the inbounds pass.

Uekusa looked around before throwing the ball high enough to allow Takuma to catch it. Takuma backed into Hiroshi once, testing to see if he would budge. Unfortunately, the already fatigued Hiroshi couldn't hold back the massive center any longer and took an involuntary step backwards, edging ever closer to the basket. Takuma tried another turnaround jump shot, feeling he was within his comfort zone.

Hiroshi jumped to block, but realized that even he couldn't reach the ball. Suddenly, he felt an arm pushing him down, and he turned his head slightly. Sakuragi was also airborne, and was using Hiroshi as support to push himself even higher.

Sakuragi managed to tap the ball off-course with his fingertips, sending it out of bounds. Sakuragi again pointed straight at Takuma when he reached the ground. "Fish Head, I thought I warned you!"  
  
Takuma approached the redhead threateningly. "Piece of shit, why don't you…"  
  
Miyagi quickly kicked Sakuragi in the rear as Sendoh tugged on Takuma's jersey, shutting the two players up.

"Don't argue guys, I don't want you thrown out!" Miyagi said, pushing Sakuragi away from Takuma. Sendoh was likewise leading Takuma away to avoid conflict, as the two captains remembered the referee's earlier warning.

The referee handed the ball to Koshino. "Are your teams ready?"  
  
Miyagi and Sendoh both raised their hands, indicating everything was good to go. The referee nodded and blew his whistle, starting the game again. Koshino looked around, and passed to Uekusa. Uekusa faked a pass to Sendoh, throwing Miyagi off balance. Uekusa took a step forward and prepared to shoot a jump shot.

"Damnit!" Miyagi cursed, recovering and quickly racing over to defend. He leaped up and tried to block, but his momentum carried him further than he wanted, crashing into Ryonan's point guard.

The ball hit the rim, then rolled around before dropping through. The crowd roared in appreciation again as the leads switched. Miyagi pushed himself up, and then helped Uekusa up.

"You okay man?" Miyagi said. Uekusa nodded, and walked off as the other Ryonan players grouped around the point guard, congratulating him.

Miyagi sighed as he reached the Shohoku players. "Sorry guys, I didn't expect him to shoot."

"Don't worry, captain," Hiroshi said. "We're still in this game."

Mitsui and Sakuragi nodded. "Ryonan is nothing!" Sakuragi grinned, thumping his chest. "We'll show them!"

Miyagi couldn't help but smile back at the redhead. "Right, we'll get them!"

The players lined up as Uekusa took his free throw. Uekusa stared at the basket for about four seconds, not moving a muscle. Then he flipped the ball through the air, banking the shot in. Ryonan was now leading, 71-69.

Mitsui took the ball out, and passed it off to Rukawa. Rukawa again took his time taking the ball upcourt, obviously confident that Shohoku would take the lead. He waited until there was only 10 seconds on the shot clock, and then passed it straight to Miyagi before cutting towards the basket.

Miyagi faked the pass back to Rukawa, throwing Uekusa off guard. Miyagi then opted to pass to Hiroshi, who handed the ball off to Mitsui standing right behind him.

Koshino stood stunned. _That rookie is using himself as a screen…!_

Hiroshi stood between Koshino and Fukuda, stopping them from defending Mitsui. Mitsui jumped into the air and sent the ball soaring from behind the three-point line, and the ball caught nothing but the net. 72-71, Shohoku's lead.

"Yes!" Mitsui cheered, pumping his fist into the air. Miyagi's trouble-making smile was surfacing again, and Sakuragi was already swatting Mitsui's back in congratulations.

Sendoh's eyes had no amusement in it, however. _Can't let momentum swing back now…_

Sendoh heaved a pass downcourt to Fukuda, and then raced onto the offense. Fukuda quickly dropped the ball back off to Sendoh, and Sendoh blew past Hiroshi and Sakuragi before making a reverse lay-up.

Ayako bit her lip nervously from the bench. _Sendoh looks unstoppable…_

Mitsui calmly took the ball and inbounded to Miyagi. Miyagi stared downcourt, then burst into a run before slowing down. He held his hand up, motioning for Sakuragi to get out from under the basket. Sakuragi complied and stepped out. Miyagi then ran straight in Sakuragi's direction and whipped a pass around the center to Rukawa in the corner. Rukawa quickly took the jump shot, but the ball bounced off the front of the rim. Sendoh took the rebound without a problem.

Youhei sighed from the stands. "That was a nice move by Miyagi… too bad the shot didn't go in."

Sendoh held the ball protectively, and waited for the other players to get to the other side of the court. He then dribbled the ball cautiously but rapidly, no longer trying to slow down the game's pace. He stopped his dribble once he passed the half-court line, then launched a pass to Fukuda. Fukuda considered Sakuragi, spying all the openings in his defense.  
  
Sakuragi lifted his arms up, trying to make himself appear even taller… and not realizing he was giving more room for Fukuda to run past him. "Haha, you have nowhere to go, Fukuda!"

Fukuda scoffed and raced straight past the immobile Sakuragi before leaping into the air to lay the ball in. Suddenly, a swarm of hands appeared in his face, and Fukuda realized the meaning of Sakuragi's words. Fukuda quickly tried to pass the ball back out, but Miyagi stole the ball with a grin.

Mitsui and Hiroshi landed alongside Fukuda. "You have nowhere to go, Fukuda," Mitsui repeated, moving back to catch up with the offense.

Miyagi passed the ball between Koshino and Uekusa to Rukawa, who managed to get downcourt the fastest. Rukawa smoothly dunked the ball in, making the scores 74-73.

Sendoh looked at the clock. 1:05 remaining. _No problem…_

Sendoh passed off to Koshino, and ran back downcourt. Koshino obediently passed back to Sendoh, who threw the ball upwards to Takuma. Takuma dribbled a few times, then spun around with incredible speed. Hiroshi unavoidably made body contact with Takuma as he shot.

The ball rimmed out, but the referee's whistle was already piercing the air. "Shooting foul, white #5!"  
  
Hiroshi raised his hand, visibly unhappy. _Shouldn't have stuck that close to him…_

Takuma stepped up to the free-throw line, getting ready to shoot. Sakuragi held his hands out, the bottom part of the wrists together as he began concentrating his energy to curse the free throw.

Takuma missed the first free throw badly, and Sakuragi grinned in relief.

"Damn!" Takuma cursed as he took the ball again. Sakuragi immediately resumed his cursing, and the ball bounced off the right side of the rim.   
  
However, Sendoh was on the side and he simply tapped the ball back in, giving Ryonan the lead.

"No!" Sakuragi and Miyagi howled in unison. Mitsui looked worriedly up at the clock. 0:43 remaining.

Hiroshi took the ball out and passed to Rukawa. Rukawa tried to dribble in without hesitation, but Sendoh started to guard him with new intensity. Rukawa dribbled the ball around the perimeter, trying to find someone to pass to or take advantage of an opening. There was none.

The seconds began ticking down, and the shot clock ran from 30 to 20, to 10.

"Rukawa, you have to do something!" Miyagi called, trying to shake Uekusa's defense. _Shit… they're guarding us so tight!_

Rukawa looked around calmly, still not worried. The shot clock fell down to five seconds. Sendoh smiled. "No way out?"  
  
Rukawa sighed. "There always is."  
  
Rukawa pulled the ball back out and breathed deeply. Sendoh began to approach him, and Rukawa disappeared like a ghost, moving fluidly as he took Sendoh's plans to guard him tighter as an opportunity to escape. Sendoh's eyes widened. _What…?!_

Rukawa ran to the right corner and gave the ball one final hard dribble to send it upwards as he jumped. Rukawa soared into the air, and the ball began to leave his fingertips just as the shot clock hit zero.

The crowd stood, watching in anticipation. Haruko gasped. _This could be Shohoku's final shot…!_

Rukawa suddenly felt a presence, and knew Sendoh had caught up. _Too late, Sendoh…_

The ball left his hands. Sendoh reached up to block.

The basketball soared ever so slowly towards the rim, the crowd standing stunned. The ball went into the basket.

And then bounced out.

Rukawa's eyes widened. _It couldn't be…_

"Rebound, guys!" Sendoh shouted at his teammates. Rukawa stared at Sendoh's fingers.

One of them had a nail that was pulled back, leaving a tiny trail of blood down his finger.

_He hit my shot… just like that other guy did to our senpai during the Kainan game last year!_ Rukawa realized.

Four players reached for the ball as it flew into the air. Eight arms tried to take the ball… and unfortunately, six of those arms belonged to Ryonan players.

Miyagi watched in fear. _Who's rebounding for us…?_  
  
A roar floated out of the group. Sakuragi Hanamachi, the Rebound King and self-proclaimed Tensai, grunted with effort as his right hand closed around the basketball. He swung it to his left hand to gain complete control of the ball as he landed. Haruko's hands clasped around her mouth in shock as tears began forming in her eyes. The Sakuragi Army stood on its feet, watching the redhead grip the rebound as if his life depended on it.

Sakuragi's eyes were as humorless as Sendoh's, indicating complete concentration. Sakuragi rose to the air, preparing to shoot a jump shot. Fukuda bumped into his legs. Takuma's arm wrapped around Sakuragi's left, and Koshino was tugging on Sakuragi's jersey.

The whistle rang through the air as the ball fell out of Sakuragi's hands, bounced around the basket… and rolled out.

"Shooting foul! Blue #13!"

Sakuragi landed as the Ryonan players dispersed. He looked around, and was instantly tackled by the group of Shohoku players… with the exception of Rukawa, of course.

"Sakuragi… great rebound!" Miyagi praised as Mitsui patted Sakuragi's monk-like head repeatedly. Hiroshi stood, grinning at the players.

Sakuragi's face broke into a massive grin. "Haha, no problem for this Tensai!"

The referee walked over to the players. "#10, take your free-throws please."  
  
Miyagi's joy suffocated a bit. _Oh no… Sakuragi has to shoot free throws…_ Miyagi remembered how poorly Sakuragi shot them.

Sakuragi, however, was still grinning with confidence. Even Mitsui didn't look too worried. Miyagi looked at the two. _Did I miss something…?_

Sakuragi walked over to the free throw line, and Koshino elbowed Fukuda with a grin. "Don't worry, he could never make them. Remember last year?" Sendoh however, studied Sakuragi silently without any jeering.  
  
Sakuragi took the ball, and bent in that awkward position he had last year: ball between his knees, looking to shoot from the bottom up. Suddenly, he lifted the ball up to standard shooting form, and shot the ball smoothly. The ball swished neatly through the net.

The Ryonan players' jaws were about to hit the floor. "What the… he made it?!"  
  
Taoka watched in amazement from the sidelines. _Sakuragi made a normal-looking free throw?!_

Even Miyagi's mouth was hanging open. _Amazing…_

Sakuragi laughed in self-bravado. "Doubting my skills, bastards?!"  
  
Mitsui looked at the scoreboard. 0:09 remaining, and the score was 75-75. Mitsui looked back at Sakuragi. _It's down to you, Sakuragi… I don't think we can win if we go to overtime…_

Sakuragi took the ball again, and went back to his awkward shooting form. Apparently, it was what he decided upon as his routine, although it looked peculiar. He then brought the ball back up, with Mitsui's words in his mind. _Just do it naturally…_

His wrist flipped forward, and the ball soared into the air before snapping through the net. 76-75.

"Ryonan calls time-out!" the referee announced, as the Shohoku players once again gathered around Sakuragi in congratulations.

"Man, Sakuragi, when did you learn to shoot free-throws?!" Miyagi laughed, punching him playfully in the shoulder.

Sakuragi smiled, and Mitsui followed suit. "I taught him before we went into the game." Mitsui turned to Sakuragi and patted him on the back. "Good to see you shooting them well, Sakuragi."  
  
Hiroshi, of course, didn't understand what was going on. "Didn't Sakuragi know how to shoot free-throws?"  
  
The other three players looked at each other, then burst into laughter. Rukawa shrugged hopelessly.

The Shohoku players gathered around Anzai. Anzai immediately patted both Mitsui and Sakuragi on the shoulder. "Good work, you two. Very well done." Mitsui and Sakuragi grinned back in response.

Anzai's face then grew serious. "The game isn't over yet. They will definitely try to win the game now." The players gathered around as Anzai squatted over a bench, motioning towards a clipboard with little checker-like pieces on them. Each piece had a number mirroring that of the Shohoku players, and Mitsui realized it was the same set of equipment Anzai used in the Kainan game last year to show how the players would trap Maki.

Anzai moved the pieces around as he explained his plan. "Miyagi-kun, you will guard the inbounder. Mitsui-kun, I want you to guard the right side here while Sakuragi-kun will cover the left. Both of you stay close to the basket in case the ball-handler tries to race in to score, and help each other out if something drastic happens. Hiroshi-kun and Rukawa-kun, you will be double-teaming Sendoh at all costs." He looked up at the two forwards. "At all costs," he repeated. "Do not deviate away from Sendoh. Focus completely on him."

Anzai looked down at the clipboard again. "That's all I can tell you. I do not know what Taoka-san plans to do… but it will involve Sendoh, one way or the other." Ayako took the clipboard away, and Anzai turned to face all the players. "Good luck."  
  
Miyagi nodded. "Sensei, we'll do our best."  
  
The referee's whistle indicated the end of the timeout, and the players all gathered back onto the court. Haruko watched them hopefully from her seat, her eyes already slightly red. _Guys… you can do it!  
_  
Takuma walked over to inbound. Miyagi looked at this scenario oddly. _The tallest player inbounding… they definitely will not be trying close shots!_

Miyagi held his arms up, although without avail. He was nowhere close to blocking the towering center's vision.

The whistle rang again, and the final nine seconds began.

Takuma looked around, faked a pass to Fukuda, and then heaved the ball to Sendoh. Sendoh caught the ball and looked at Hiroshi and Rukawa, both watching him intently.

Sendoh took a dribble to the right, then burst left. The two players quickly followed, guarding him closely. Sendoh had managed to push the ball to Mitsui's territory, and Mitsui quickly went over to help the other two. The clock read 0:05.

Sendoh paused his dribble, then rushed forward, cutting across the court. Sendoh was now on the other side of the court, and Sakuragi was next to come help the players.

Miyagi stood from outside the arc in shock. _Four players guarding him… is he really going to shoot?!  
_  
Sendoh ran back around in a tight semicircle, with 3 seconds remaining. He glided into the air, with eight arms reaching to block. Sendoh's arm extended high above his head, his right arm keeping a bit of spacing between the four players as his left arm gently hooked the ball.

Rukawa's eyes widened. _A left-handed hook shot!_  
  
The ball flew gracefully through the air, barely avoiding the outstretched fingertips of the defenders. It began to make its slow descent towards the rim.

The crowd watched: dead silent, holding their breath, afraid to even move.

The ball swished through the net, with one second still on the clock.

"No…" Miyagi whispered, all hope crashing down. Sendoh landed, a very faint smile on his face.

"No way…" Miyagi murmured again, as the Ryonan players ran back to defend. The cheers of the Ryonan-supporting crowd didn't reach his ears. Mitsui picked up the ball, and passed to Miyagi. Miyagi caught it, and as soon as he did the clock clicked down to zero. Miyagi's old anger flared dangerously, and he slammed the ball onto the floor with all his might, completely enraged. "NO!"

The final whistle rang through the air. Shohoku had lost, 77-76.


	20. Chapter 19

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Chapter 19- Aftermath**

Mitsui sighed in disappointment as the crowd roared around him. Shohoku had lost their first match in the semi-finals, almost single-handedly taken down by Sendoh Akira.

_We tried,_ Mitsui thought sadly as he walked to the center of the court with his hands on his hips. _There was nothing more we could have done to defend that shot…_

Sendoh was already being congratulated by the Ryonan players as a large huddle formed around their ace player. Hikoichi was among the first to be praising his idol, his cheers the loudest amidst their celebration.

The other Shohoku players, however, were not even close to being in any sort of celebratory mood. Sakuragi was still off in his area, at the place he was told to guard by Anzai. He had followed orders exactly, and still….

_A loss on this Tensai's comeback… how unacceptable!_ Sakuragi could only shake his head bitterly as he turned to join the others. His eyes floated to Rukawa and in seconds Sakuragi realized that it was Rukawa who was supposed to be guarding Sendoh in the final possession.

_Stupid fox! Always messing up!_ Sakuragi thought as he strode over to Shohoku's ace, meaning to get some sort of explanation out of his rival. However, Sakuragi started when he caught a glimpse of Rukawa's expression— the normally emotionless boy had a downcast look that wasn't defeat… but almost a numb shock, as if the loss had stunned him.

Sakuragi's angry thoughts died down at this unexpected sight and he merely turned away from Rukawa, the two going their separate ways as they shared the burden of defeat.

Meanwhile, Miyagi was still fuming silently, standing in the same spot where he had caught the ball right before the buzzer. He was desperately trying to control his anger, trying to squelch it before it overtook him.

But underneath the anger was sadness. Such a crushing sadness. Shohoku had lost plenty of times this season, before Sakuragi made his return and before Hiroshi came onto the team. This time, though…

Shohoku had lost, even with Sakuragi and Hiroshi. There were no excuses. This was a team that should have been at full power, with all the right pieces. Defense, rebounding, offense… everything should have been covered.

And Miyagi couldn't help thinking that if it were Akagi leading right now, Shohoku would be the victorious ones.

Miyagi's hands ran through his hair slowly, feeling the rage that was coursing through his body slowly abating, leaving nothing but fatigue and discontent. He began walking towards the center of the court, a dejected look on his face.

Hiroshi was the only one that didn't seem to be particularly rattled by the loss—instead his face was devoid of any emotion. However, he silently ripped off the patch on the side of his head with a loud tearing sound and exposed his earlier injury that he suffered in the first half, his actions showing a type of quiet anger in itself. He paced for the center-line to shake the hands of the victorious players, joining with his other teammates as everyone grouped around the center of the court.

All the players bowed deeply and their collective voices roared throughout the stadium:

"Thank you for the game!"

The handshakes started right after, the atmosphere heavy. Sendoh was the last in line on the Ryonan team but he was the first to offer a handshake to Rukawa, who had all but refused handshakes from all the other Ryonan players. Rukawa looked at Sendoh's hand blankly and then gave it a nonchalant slap before walking off. Sendoh stared at the Rukawa's back in surprise, but then smiled with understanding.

_I see… so you think I'm the only one who's worthy, eh?_

Sendoh reached Shohoku's new captain and shook Miyagi's hand firmly, the two still having an immense amount of respect for each other.

"Good game… you're going to be a fine leader," Sendoh commented casually. Miyagi looked up at the taller player and smiled faintly, not exactly pleased to receive comfort from the victor.

"I'll try, Sendoh. Take care of yourself, because we'll see you in the IH tournament. For sure."

Sendoh's sunny smile spread across his face, pleased at those words. "I'll look forward to it."

The Ryonan High ace moved on to Mitsui, who gave Sendoh an ambivalent look before he held out a fist.

"You're playing a little too good for your own good."

"As are you, old man," Sendoh said jokingly, bumping fists with Mitsui as he continued to move down the line. Hiroshi was next and Sendoh didn't immediately move to shake the rookie's hand, instead nodding in respect.

"You played very well, rookie."

_So well that we'll have to keep an eye on you next time…_ Sendoh thought to himself, not willing to divulge his own uneasiness to the others. Defensive players were rare—defensive players that actually had an offensive game were rarer. Sendoh could only think that it was fortunate that Ryonan had played Shohoku early on, in case they were to meet again—there would be no surprises next time.

Hiroshi bowed politely, his voice even. "Thank you."

Sakuragi stuck his hand out before Sendoh even reached him. "Porcupine-Head, I'll defeat you next time! Easily! Without doubt!"

Sendoh beamed, accepting Sakuargi's crushing handshake. "You better train until you faint if you want to beat me, then."

Sakuragi squeezed Sendoh's hand just a little harder upon hearing these words.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines, Taoka walked over to Anzai and shook the plump coach's hand, the two old friends once again uniting. "Good game."

Anzai nodded, the peaceful expression never really disappearing from his face even in loss. "Yes, it was very exciting. Your final game plan was well done."

Taoka hid a smile, knowing that Anzai wouldn't have believed it even if he had said it. _In reality, Sendoh wasn't supposed to take the shot…_

"I hope to see you in the IH matches, old friend."

Anzai chuckled to himself as the two coaches parted, off to see their players. Shohoku's players had already grouped around Ayako, their intentions obvious as they started searching around for her clipboard.

"Aya-chan, did you already finish with the stats sheet?" Miyagi asked when he found it, holding it up for her to see. Ayako gave the players a curt nod, her expression grim.

"Yes, although I'm not sure you guys will like what you see."

The Shohoku players gave each other wary glances before they gathered around Miyagi, trying to get a full view of the stats for the game.

**Ryonan High**

Uekusa Tomoyuki - 1-1 FG, 1-1 FT, 1 assist, 1 steal, **3 points**

Koshino Hiroaki- 2-2 FG, 1-1 FT, 2 assists, **5 points**

Sendoh Akira - 23-23 FG, 4-4 three pointers, 2-2 FT, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, 2 blocks, **52 points**

Fukuda Kicchou- 4-5 FG, 1-2 FT 1 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, **9 points**

Takuma Seiji - 4-5 FG, 0-3 FT, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks, **8 points**

**Shohoku High**

Miyagi Ryota - 2-3 FG, 1 rebound, 8 assists, 4 steals, **4 points**

Mitsui Hisashi - 10-13 FG, 5-8 three pointers, 1 steal, **25 points**

Rukawa Kaede - 10-16 FG, 2-2 FT, 1 rebounds, 2 assists, **22 points**

Kazuo Hiroshi - 6-11 FG, 1-2 FT, 2-3 three pointers, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 6 steals, 3 blocks, **13 points**

Sakuragi Hanamichi- 5-11 FG, 2-2 FT, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, **12 points**

"…Sendoh shot a perfect game from the field?" Mitsui observed, surprise in his voice. Miyagi nodded grimly, knowing full well just how weak the Shohoku's defense had gotten—Sendoh was indeed a very talented offensive player, but for him to shoot a perfect game from the field, on over twenty shot attempts no less…

"I didn't beat the fox in scoring?! Are you sure this stats sheet is real?!" Sakuragi cried, trying to grab the paper away from Miyagi. Miyagi gave Sakuragi a quick elbow to the stomach so the redhead would stop interrupting the others from looking at the sheet.

Anzai walked up behind the players as the crowd began clearing out of the gym, ready to offer the players some final words of advice. He adjusted his glasses before he spoke, the players' attentions all on him.

"You all played to the best of your ability. The defense was weak, as evidenced by our low number of rebounds and their high percentage of shooting. However, it was a good game. There was much to learn and we can all improve. With the return of Sakuragi-kun, we will slowly regain old form. There should be no regrets."

The Shohoku players nodded, seeming to listen. But as they all dragged their feet to the lockers, expressions downcast, it seemed that there was more than a fair share of disappointment to the game.

"I hope they'll be okay. You know how they take losing," Ayako commented to the coach, gathering her belongings. Anzai chuckled to himself, not looking worried in the least.

"Yes. But the best teams recover and learn from their mistakes. We are a very strong team now, aren't we?"

* * *

"Hey, Sakuragi…"

"Shut it!" Before anything more could be said, Sakuragi head-butted Takamiya with a loud thud, leaving the chubby member of the Sakuragi Army with a smoking welt on his forehead.

Youhei shrugged casually to the sight, his school binder tucked under his left arm. The Sakuragi Army had gathered around the hallway and Sakuragi was just on his way to basketball practice. It was obvious that the game was still weighing heavily on the redhead's mind, and Takamiya's attempt at consoling had proved to be nearly fatal.

"Sakuragi, you tried your best. Don't worry about it."

Sakuragi turned away from his friends, trying to hide his expression of worry. _But we lost… what will Haruko think?_

"Sakuragi-kun…"

"What now?!" Sakuragi bellowed in a fit of rage, ready to head-butt whoever was approaching. However, he instantly froze when he turned and saw it was Haruko, the one person he was hoping not to meet.

"Oh, Haruko-chan… so sorry…" Sakuragi's hand shot to the back of his head as he bowed slightly in apology, a faint blush appearing on his face.

Haruko waved her right hand frantically, as if warding off the apologies. "Oh, no… don't worry about it…"

She bit her lip and looked down as soon as Sakuragi raised his head again.

"So… we lost yesterday… Ayako showed me the data she collected and everything…"

Sakuragi looked down at his feet as well, a glum expression on his face. He was feeling embarrassed about the loss, more so because he truly felt like he could have played just a little better.

"But, Sakuragi-kun played very well yesterday! It surprised even me…"

Haruko's surprisingly optimistic voice reached his ears and Sakuragi's head shot upwards, now slapped out of his funk. "But… we lost…"

Haruko place a hand on her hip, looking slightly irritiated. "I know that! But Sakuragi-kun played great! And if Sendoh hadn't made the last shot, you would have been the hero of the game!"

Sakuragi's blush grew just a few shades darker. "Ah… is that so?"

Youhei sighed as the other members of the Sakuragi Army nudged each other, laughing at Sakuragi's expense. _Gee… this scene looks familiar…_

Haruko nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! You really did well… and anyways, we just have to win the next two games and we can still make the IH tournament!"

A grin began spreading on Sakuragi's face, as if he had forgotten this fact. "Yeah… yeah, that's right!"

Haruko looked out the nearby window, her eyes slightly dreamy as she started to reflect on the memories of last year. "Sakuragi-kun, if you do well like last year, Shohoku can definitely make it!"

Sakuragi thumped his chest and began to laugh arrogantly. "Of course! Count on me!"

"Thanks, Sakuragi-kun." Haruko patted the tall basketball player's shoulder and Sakuragi's face could very well have been placed next to a tomato and no one would have been able to tell the difference. "Well, I'll be at basketball practice soon. I'm sorry I didn't help Ayako-san these days, I've just been busy with school… but I'll resume my duties as manageress today!"

Sakuragi grinned in delight, now having something to look forward to in practice.

"Okay, see you there then! Take care, Haruko-chan!" He tried to wave as casually as possible, but his fingers were trembling with nervousness and joy.

Haruko flashed him a bright smile. "Okay, see you soon!"

While she dashed off, Sakuragi could only stare at his shoulder where Haruko had touched him.

_I'll never wash these pair of clothes ever again…!_

"Hey, you better get going," Youhei reminded him, breaking him out of his reverie. Sakuragi nodded to his best friend, the redhead's earlier depressed attitude seemingly gone.

"Right!"

"We're going to the pachinko parlor or something. We'll see you tomorrow," Youhei stated, chuckling to himself at Sakuragi's abrupt change in demeanor. Youhei motioned to the others in the Sakuragi Army as Noma and Yuuji tried to lift the collapsed form of Takamiya up, the pudgy member of the Army still unconscious.

Sakuragi dashed off to the gym with a light spring in his step, unable to contain his excitement as he burst through the double gym doors.

"The Tensai is here!" Sakuragi announced loudly, his voice echoing throughout the room. The gym was silent except for the sound of one ball dribbling. Sakuragi traced the sound of the ball and saw a tall figure practicing his jumpers.

Rukawa gave the redhead a blank look, unperturbed by the obstreperous entrance.

Sakuragi glanced around, trying to find someone else so he wouldn't have to have any sort of conversation with the fox. "Where is everyone?"

Rukawa shrugged, his expression unchanging. "Late."

Sakuragi was about to make a remark about the need for humans to use more than monosyllabic words, but suddenly remembered Rukawa's look after Ryonan's game and found himself unable to make fun of the dark-haired forward.

Rukawa stared at Sakuragi seriously, apparently noticing that something was off.

"You're thinking about yesterday's game." It wasn't a question.

Sakuragi looked at Rukawa threateningly, daring him to say more. "So?"

Rukawa shifted his gaze down to the ball in his hands without elaborating further.

Sakuragi sighed, uninterested in giving his rival any comfort. "Whatever, fox."

He moved to put his stuff at the side of the gym. Rukawa turned back to the basket and an unsteady silence descended upon the two.

"Damn…" Sakuragi whispered under his breath as he knelt down to check if he had everything in his gym bag. He found himself unable to shake that vision of Rukawa, his head slightly down, his eyes showing shock, disappointment… and almost an acceptance of the defeat. As if he accepted that Shohoku could not have won that game.

_He never had a look like that,_ Sakuragi thought. Even again Eiji… being outclassed didn't matter, because Rukawa had still managed to adapt his game to help his team win.

This time, though… Sendoh had just blown Rukawa away. Completely. He had outclassed him in every category and Rukawa wasn't even capable of shutting him down defensively. Sakuragi didn't really understand what all the numbers Ayako reported meant, but even he knew the magnitude of 52 points on 100% shooting.

Sendoh had devastated not only Shohoku, but also Rukawa's pride.

Sakuragi stared down at his bag, and felt… pity. He felt pity for his rival, because he knew how much Rukawa wanted to win… just as much as Sakuragi did. He glanced at Rukawa from the corner of his eye, just in time to see the fox-like ace miss a jump shot. Sakuragi sighed, realizing he was about to go against everything he stood for with his next few words.

_Just this once… then the rivalry continues!_

"…No one is blaming you, fox."

Rukawa turned towards the redhead. "What?"

The door crashed open just then and Miyagi sauntered in. "Captain's here! Wow, you two are early. This is rare."

"You're the one that's late, Ryo-chin!" Sakuragi complained as he zipped up his gym bag. Rukawa gave Sakuragi another look before turning back to shoot, the Shohoku ace's actions ambiguous enough so that it was difficult to tell if he had even heard what Sakuragi said.

Miyagi shrugged, not bothered by Sakuragi's accusation. "It's all in how you interpret it, you see."

Hiroshi was the next one to show up, the lanky freshman giving the group a curt nod in greeting before he tossed his bag into a corner of the gym. The side of his head already looked slightly better, so there was no need for a band-aid. Seconds later, Mitsui popped in, looking just as surprised as Miyagi had been to see the Shohoku starters at practice so early the day after a game.

"The gang's all here, eh?" Mitsui smirked, dumping his stuff in the corner where the other starters had put their belongings. The other Shohoku players slowly began to trickle in, and soon all the members had shown up, including Ayako.

After a few minutes of setup, Ayako cleared her throat loudly to get the attention of the other players.

"Boys, look at this!"

The players snapped to attention as she put up a graph on one of the walls of the gym. On it was a box diagram of the four teams in the Kanagawa district fighting for the two spots for in the Inter-Highs tournament.

The first box had been marked already. It showed the scores of the past game: 77-76, Shohoku's loss.

"All right, boys," Ayako continued, adjusting her signature cap. "Anzai told me the schedule for our next few games. We face Shoyo next weekend, followed by Kainan the weekend after that."

Miyagi scratched his head, not expecting that they were going to be facing Kainan last. His eyes floated to one of the other boxes on the diagram and started. Apparently, Shoyo had lost to Kainan, 85-52.

_They must have crushed Shoyo,_ Miyagi thought to himself. Though the result wasn't much of a surprise, a 30 point blowout of one of the formerly best teams in the district was certainly something unexpected.

Ayako then reached into her bag and pulled out another rolled piece of paper. She quickly stuck the long scroll onto the wall, unfurling it as the players gaped at the writing.

"_**We will climb up steep cliffs."**_

Mitsui smiled mirthlessly, remembering the message. "This is…"

"Right!" Ayako said cheerfully, pointing to the vice-captain as she finished his thought for him. "This is from last year. I wrote this up after Shohoku lost to Kainan. I decided to put this back up since we are in the same predicament as last year."

"Exactly."

A new voice broke through the group and the players turned to see Haruko now amidst their group, having snuck in while the others were unaware.

"I mentioned this to Sakuragi-kun already. But now we must win the next two games or we're out of the running for the two available seats for the Inter-Highs."

Hiroshi nodded, seemingly unfazed by the pressure. "I'm sure none of us wants to lose again."

"And I don't want an early retirement, either." Miyagi added jokingly.

Mitsui sighed, now being reminded just how old he really was. "I'm with Miyagi on this one."

"So what are we doing? Let's start practicing!" Sakuragi shouted, his words being met with a loud roar of approval by the other members.

"We're doing something different today," Miyagi spoke up as soon as the cheers had died down. "So no practicing in the gym for the starters."

Everyone turned to face Miyagi, surprise written on their faces. "Captain…?"

Ayako slapped Miyagi on the head with her fan immediately, displeased at his words. "What's the meaning of this?! We have a lot we need to work on!"

Mitsui shot the point guard a glare, obviously not pleased with the news as well. "I agree. What's up?"

Miyagi's serious expression didn't dissipate, despite the smoking welt on his head left by Ayako's fan. "I'll explain. Starters, come with me. The others can stay in the gym—we'll be back pretty soon. You two can stay too, if you want," the short Shohoku captain said, nodding towards the two girls.

Miyagi then turned to face the other players. "You guys know what to do! Drills then scrimmage! Choose teams based on year! I want good clean matches! Yasuda, you're in charge while we're away!"

The other players shouted their agreement before breaking off to practice. Miyagi motioned to the starters around him, making sure he held their attention.

"Listen up. I thought about this and got permission from Anzai-sensei, so I'm not just randomly coming up with ideas on the spot. We're going to a certain basketball court." Miyagi met Hiroshi's eyes. "You know where it is."

Hiroshi's facial expression didn't change in the slightest. "Why are you taking us there?"

Miyagi grinned, as if he was hiding some delicious secret. "We're going for some basketball practice, obviously."

Hiroshi shrugged, not looking quite as enthusiastic about the idea as Miyagi was. "All right, if that's what you want…"

The players filed out of the gym and the two manageresses followed suit, neither of them wanting to miss out on what was going to happen. Hiroshi took the front, leading the other players to the location. Mitsui and Rukawa stood in the middle, with Ayako and Haruko behind them. Miyagi and Sakuragi trailed far behind the group, engaged in conversation.

"Where are we going, Ryo-chin?" Sakuragi asked timidly, curiosity getting the best of him.

"Street courts. Hiroshi's territory, basically."

Sakuragi shot Miyagi a questioning look. "Huh?"

Miyagi kept his gaze ahead. "Hiroshi didn't show up on the Shohoku basketball team prior to the Ryonan match. Basically, he didn't show up for the first recruiting session. I happened to find him when I was going out for some practice."

"Like Gori found me?"

Miyagi smiled. "I guess you could say that… although it was a bit different. It was weird to see someone like him, playing at that sort of level…"

* * *

_Two Days Before Sakuragi's Return_

Miyagi tossed his basketball towards the blue sky and caught it as it fell, whistling all the while. With a bounce in his step, the Shohoku captain turned around the street corner and headed for the public basketball courts. Japan didn't have too many of those and Miyagi felt lucky that there was one not too far from Shohoku High that was relatively popular. He knew of the one where Rukawa practiced but tended to stay away from there, for obvious reasons. He also knew of another one where he saw Fukuda a few times playing with a group of kids, but he also tended to avoid that place as well.

Besides, the courts he was going to now was renowned for being full of flashy and creative players, just the sort of style that Miyagi had to restrain when he played during official games and needed to release once in a while on the street courts.

When Miyagi saw the huge cage-like fence of the court and heard the yells and commands of the basketball players, he smiled to himself in anticipation. However, just as he glanced through the fence, a ball flew straight at his face before bouncing harmlessly off the metal barrier, the sudden appearance of the projectile enough to startle the Shohoku captain.

"Sorry about that!" a tall player called to Miyagi, waving his gangly arm.

"Stop blocking my shots," a player grumbled, walking to get the ball. The player turned to inbound and the other player who waved to Miyagi used the same long arm to lash out and fluidly steal the ball.

"Stop doing that too!"

The tall player dribbled the ball once then cut between two defenders and threw down a quick one-handed jam, his movements far quicker than the others on the court. In addition to his surprising speed, the boy towered over all the others players and as Miyagi continued watched, he couldn't help but feel somewhat impressed.

Someone took the ball out and tried to inbound, the defense of the other player having been infectious enough to spread to his teammates as everyone started putting on full-court pressure. Even though the ball managed to find its way into the hands of a teammate, the player that Miyagi had his eye on quickly rushed to defend, completely trapping the ball-handler in a corner of the court. The ball-handler began to panic and heaved the ball up, trying to at least salvage the possession, only for the defender to leap up and with his long arm simply rip the ball out of the air. The defender turned slightly and put the ball onto the court, dribbling it smoothly behind his back as someone tried to steal. In an unexpectedly nimble move for his size, the tall player spun past one of the last defenders and shoveled a pass to an open teammate, who laid the ball in.

"Okay, that was game." The players on the opposing team grumbled amongst each other, not pleased with the result. Miyagi was quick to approach the lanky player, who was doubled over and catching his breath.

"Hey. That was a nice move there. The one where you split the defense."

The tall player nodded curtly, wiping sweat off his brow with the back of his arm. "Thanks."

Miyagi moved his ball to his left hand and stuck out his right. "Name's Miyagi Ryota."

"I know."

Miyagi raised an eyebrow questioningly, surprised at the statement. The tall player managed a tired smile as he took Miyagi's hand and shook steadily. "I read about you in the papers, after you guys beat Sannoh. I'm Kazuo Hiroshi. Hiroshi's fine."

Miyagi's eyes lit up, always pleased to hear someone who knew about Shohoku's legendary win. Well, legendary for those that kept track of the team. "Ah, you heard about that game?"

Hiroshi's smile widened. "Yeah, it sure seemed exciting."

Miyagi returned the smile, feeling oddly at ease with Hiroshi. Hiroshi had the same calming, mature aura that Kogure had, it seemed. "You have really nice defense, you know. Not just those blocks and steals. You have good defensive reads. And your offense isn't too shabby, either."

Hiroshi's smile faded, just a bit.

"Yeah, well, you have to play defense… it's my only strong point. On the street courts with people you don't know, if you aren't aggressive no one will pass to you. You have to get the ball for myself," Hiroshi said evenly, his words heavy with experience.

Miyagi looked at Hiroshi with empathy. "I know what you mean. People didn't give me the ball because I was too short."

"Well, you showed them all up during the Sannoh match, right?"

Miyagi burst into laughter. "Haha, I guess so!"

The two chuckled amongst each other, oblivious to the fact that the other players were already starting another game. Once they quieted, Miyagi looked up at Hiroshi.

"Hey, what high school do you go to?"

Hiroshi pointed to where Miyagi came from. "Shohoku High. I'm a freshman."

Miyagi's eyes widened at the unexpected response. "Shohoku…?"

Hiroshi nodded, confused as to why Miyagi was so surprised. "Is there a problem with that…?"

_Why isn't he on the basketball team?_ _He's way ahead of some of the other players in the club!_ Miyagi thought, recalling all the new freshmen that had dropped out this year. Without hesitation, Miyagi went on the attack.

"Hey, are you interested in joining the basketball club?"

Hiroshi stared at Miyagi for a few moments, processing the abrupt question before holding up his left arm. "I wanted to… but I sprained my wrist before the tryout days. So I couldn't make it. I figured that I would try out next year, since it's probably too late now—"

Miyagi shook his head irritably. "Don't worry about that—we're happy to accept late additions. You play pretty well. And I think if you go through some formal training and some actual matches, you'll play even better."

Hiroshi pondered it over only very briefly—which was expected, given that he had already planned on joining the team.

"Well, I like basketball a lot…" he said noncommittally, giving Miyagi a grin.

Miyagi accepted the answer with a chuckle. "Cool. I'm the captain now, by the way. Swing by sometime, we'll get the paperwork and stuff worked out."

"Sounds simple enough," Hiroshi nodded, glancing back at the game that was going on.

"You might even be a starter," Miyagi said off-handedly, trying to provide as much incentive as possible. "You know, you're pretty tall and all."

"Yeah?" Hiroshi mumbled, a far-off look in his eyes. He shifted his weight around, trying to keep his legs loose. "That'd be great."

"Yep," Miyagi managed, too excited to notice Hiroshi's behavior. "Okay. Just show up when you can, all right? Do it fast though, we're going to be in qualifications for the IH matches soon. It'd be great to have you on the roster by then."

Miyagi began backing away, a finger pointed in Hiroshi's direction. "Don't forget! I know where you play! I'll hunt you down!"

Hiroshi gave Miyagi a wan smile, the Shohoku captain returning it before the diminutive guard dashed off, completely forgetting the fact that he had come to play basketball in the first place. He didn't see Hiroshi again stare emotionlessly at the game unfolding before him, as if the entire thing was didn't interest him in particular.

Miyagi started to dribble at a frenetic speed, the sun shining brightly behind him. The dream wasn't over, he thought excitedly. Nowhere near it.

* * *

Sakuragi looked ahead towards Hiroshi, who had fallen back a few steps and was chatting with Mitsui. "So Hiro hasn't played that long?"

Miyagi shrugged. "Well, not long with us. But as for how long he's played basketball… very late. Not as late as you, of course. Aside from that, we don't know much about his personal life, although based on Ayako's paperwork, it seems like he's an orphan. Only one listed guardian who doesn't live near him, you know. What impressed me was that I've never seen a defensive player like him during a street game. He certainly understands the game very well, for someone that started so late."

Sakuragi whirled to meet Miyagi's eyes for confirmation.

"…Orphan?" Sakuragi asked, a little too loudly as Miyagi elbowed the redhead in the ribs. While Sakuragi winced, Miyagi sighed and began to pick up his pace, making his way past the second-year.

"Again, it's only what I heard."

"We're here, guys," Hiroshi interrupted, motioning towards the large steel fence. Miyagi, who had noticed that they had arrived before the announcement, deftly moved in front of the group and turned to face them.

"All right. We're only going to play street ball today because I felt it was better we play some new people instead of scrimmaging amongst each other all the time. I didn't invite the others because it will look conspicuous if too large a group went in… and besides, if there were so many Shohoku members going in, there wouldn't be a point scrimmaging with others at all."

A naughty smile appeared on Miyagi's face as the others digested this information. "Oh, and if we lose, I _do _plan on making us run a few miles, so don't slack off when you play."

The others looked at Miyagi in shock. "What?!"

Miyagi turned, ignoring their protests. "Let's practice!"


	21. Chapter 20

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews: Mak- Argh, apparently everyone guessed the outcome of that match. I tried, I guess.

Yeah, Sendoh was a monster that game, especially for a high-schooler.

Migo- Haha, yeah, Shohoku's defense was never too outstanding… although it could be, if they wanted to (Sannoh game as evidence).

As for basketball techniques, I don't really plan to, but I can't rule it out, especially since the game gets technical at times. We'll see, although there won't be any Bad Boys defense, either version. Too cruel for those high schoolers.

Yun Fei- Sorry to disappoint, but no, there will not be any yaoi whatsoever. The loss wasn't really taken lightly, but more realistically than anything. They know they still have a chance, and the loss will sort of serve as a wake-up call for them to play their hearts out.

You subtly predicted the title, as well as many other things, even if you don't remember. It's okay that you have short term memory.

Good to see I'm not screwing up Hiroshi's past too much, and considering there's still more to reveal about him and the other characters… well, I'll try my best.

Mitra1- Hi there. It's great to see you like the story, and I feel honored that you think it doesn't deviate from the original manga.

Your English is fine, so don't worry about it. Your review was very insightful and helpful. Again, I'm pleased to hear that people are accepting Hiroshi.

Sendoh's ability is much greater than Rukawa's for a reason… I wanted Rukawa to keep pushing himself, and letting him realize that he hasn't become the best high school basketball player yet. Sendoh also is just a basketball prodigy, who understands the game and knows when to take the team on his shoulders and lead. Rukawa is not much of a leader (even though at times he does it with his actions), and I wanted to use Sendoh as a sort of… well, goal for Rukawa. The day that Rukawa beats Sendoh is the day he can say to himself, "I am the best in Japan," and assert it to the viewer as well. Rukawa is oftentimes a one-dimensional player in that he often just brings explosive scoring. Sendoh knows when to improve to lead his team, and adapt to what's lacking. When Ryonan needed someone to defend Maki, he was the one to step up, and all his actions make him the ace player of Ryonan, especially since his team isn't particularly special or outstanding. He deserves the title of a basketball genius, whereas Rukawa still needs to mature his game. I understand that Rukawa is your favorite character (as he is for many, many other people), but I wanted to make Rukawa more real and give him goals to achieve. As for Eiji Sawakita, I don't think I've left him too low. Rukawa was outclassed by Eiji in the Sannoh match in my eyes, and he just changed his game enough to help his team win. He never really beat Eiji in terms of skill, just as he never beat Sendoh. Sendoh, thrust into the role of leading Ryonan, was able to accelerate the growth of his abilities much more. I guess whether Sendoh truly surpassed the previous Eiji is debatable, but making Sendoh appear strong was definitely necessary. Besides, don't worry; I'll make sure Rukawa shows his ability in future games.  
  
Defeat is necessary for Shohoku to grow, and I think they'll only learn more if they lost some games. Akagi's departure was a massive blow to the team's skill, as was Kogure's departure, so of course their ability and chemistry still needs to be developed before becoming a contender.

Thanks for the review, and I hope I addressed all your worries.

Shadowcleaner- Hey! I'm happy that you like my story, and I'll try to continue as long as Shohoku can keep winning.   
  
If you haven't seen the Sannoh games, you're missing out. Those were exciting, so if you ever get the chance, check it out. I'm sorry if the story seemed confusing at some parts due to that, so I'll be more careful about it in the future. Thanks again.

---------

Chapter 20- Outclassed 

The Shohoku High basketball players stepped through the opening in the fence, the two manageresses trailing behind. There were eight people already at the courts, six playing a 3 on 3 match on one side and two others just shooting around.

Miyagi looked around, and found that he didn't recognize anyone. He looked at Hiroshi, who shook his head slightly. He didn't recognize anyone either.

One of the players turned, and saw the five basketball players. "Hey, Hanamachi! Asshole, get off the court!"  
  
Sakuragi stared at the other figure, and shrugged. The other Shohoku players looked at him questioningly.

"Oh… well, I beat him up before," Sakuragi whispered, grinning sheepishly as he made sure Haruko didn't overhear.

Miyagi chuckled, and walked up to the center of the court.

"Listen… anyone interested in playing us one-on-one?"  
  
A few ears perked. "Shorty, you sure you can take us?" someone laughed.

Miyagi plastered a fake smile onto his face. "I don't know, shouldn't I be asking that?" This comment elicited a few threatening murmurs from the other players.  
  
Miyagi turned to his players. "How about playing each one of us, one-on-one?"

The group of players talked amongst each other, and quickly reached a verdict. "All right, shorty. Shoot for matchups."  
  
A long line quickly formed, and the players took turns shooting free throws. The pairings were determined relatively quickly. Mitsui first, followed by Hiroshi, Miyagi, Rukawa, and finally Sakuragi.

Miyagi raised an eyebrow as Mitsui prepared to face off against his opponent. "Rules?"

Someone scratched his head. "Call your own fouls. No offensive fouls unless there's blood. If anything else comes up, we can discuss it."

Mitsui took the ball and offered it to his opponent, who was about the same height as Mitsui and wore a yellow shirt. "Who gets the ball first?"

Yellow-Shirt shrugged. "Shoot for it."  
  
Mitsui grinned. "All right." He flicked his wrist smoothly and the ball hit the rim before bouncing out. Mitsui chased down the missed shot and threw it to his opponent.

Miyagi mulled over something for a bit. "Okay, play by ones and twos up to three. I don't want the matches to take too long."  
  
Mitsui looked at Yellow-Shirt. "Okay by you?"  
  
The guy nodded. "Whatever." They quickly checked the ball, and Yellow-Shirt rushed in, catching Mitsui by surprise as he laid it in.

"Winner's ball," the guy declared, with the scores already 1-0.

Mitsui sighed. _Time to get a bit serious…_

Yellow-Shirt checked the ball to Mitsui again, but Mitsui took one step forward and snatched the ball away as soon as it reached the guy's hands, displaying his experience. Mitsui smiled slightly as he dribbled the ball to his left twice before leaping into the air and draining the jump shot.

"Play some defense," Mitsui taunted as he checked the ball.

The guy heeded his advice and began approaching Mitsui, but Mitsui took a quick step to his right and shot the three-pointer. Yellow-Shirt turned around to see the ball swish through the net.

Mitsui shrugged casually. "That's game."

Miyagi sighed. _Maybe this will go faster than I thought…_

Hiroshi stepped up next, and a bald player came up to meet him. Hiroshi let the bald player shoot for ball, and he managed to bank it.

Hiroshi smiled faintly. "Not bad."  
  
The bald player took the ball and tried to cross over Hiroshi. Hiroshi simply stuck his long arm out and knocked the ball to the side. His opponent went over to fetch the loose ball, but when he turned back he found the tall defender guarding him intensely.

_Nowhere for him to go…_ Miyagi thought as the bald player had no choice but to heave the ball towards the hoop. It air-balled and bounced out of bounds.

Hiroshi checked the ball and simply took one long stride forward before shooting a quick fadeaway shot that banked off the corner and fell in. 1-0.

Hiroshi's eyes began to take on a bored look as he checked the ball again. He rushed forward then pulled the ball back as his opponent slid forward, propelled by his own momentum. Hiroshi shot another jumper and scored. 2-0.

The bald player checked the ball to Hiroshi, obviously growing frustrated. Hiroshi simply heaved a three-pointer, then raced past his defender. The ball clanged off the rim, but Hiroshi seized the rebound and shot it back in from underneath the hoop, ending the game.

The next two games were uneventful. Miyagi simply used his overwhelming speed and quick hands to win his game, 3-0.

As for Rukawa… Rukawa completely dominated his opponent, beating the other person in less than a minute 3-0 with three flashy dunks that had Haruko swooning and Sakuragi enraged. The other players began to realize that the five players they were facing weren't pushovers.

"They're good," someone whispered in a hushed voice.

"Very strong…" another commented. Miyagi realized that none of them have even seen the Shohoku players before, and wondered if these players even attended school.

Sakuragi was the last to play. He had his usual cocky aura as he walked up to face his opponent, who was a bit shorter than him and had a long scar trailing down his left arm.The other player offered Sakuragi the ball. "You shoot for it," he said.

Sakuragi grinned with confidence, although the other Shohoku players sweatdropped. _Sakuragi shooting a three-pointer…?_

Sakuragi took the ball and made an odd attempt at the shot. The ball flew over the backboard and hit the fence, drawing a few chuckles from the crowd.

"Shut up!" Sakuragi ordered as his opponent took the ball and checked it with Sakuragi. Sakuragi bounced it back and his opponent walked to his right slowly before shooting from just inside the three-point arc. It bounced off the rim.

"Mine!" Sakuragi called, taking the rebound. He quickly shot from under the backboard and scored.

"Tensai!" Sakuragi laughed, his fist in the air. Everyone else was laughing too, and Sakuragi's opponent had a stunned look on his face.

Miyagi covered his face with his hands in embarrassment. "Sakuragi…"  
  
Sakuragi looked over at the captain of Shohoku. "Good shot, right?"  
  
Miyagi didn't show his face as he continued talking. "You have to take the ball out if the ball touched the rim. You basically just made a point for your opponent."  
  
Sakuragi's grin faded a bit. "Huh?"

Rukawa sighed a small mushroom cloud. "Dou ahou…"

Sakuragi gave Rukawa a glare. "Shut up, fox! No one asked you!"

Haruko smiled encouragingly at Sakuragi. "It's okay, Sakuragi-kun!"  
  
Sakuragi spun towards the clear voice of his crush. "Haruko-chan…"  
  
_You're so kind… always overlooking my mistakes…_ Sakuragi sniffled in his mind.

"Senpai, um… he's waiting," Hiroshi broke into Sakuragi's thoughts, pointing over at the other player, who had an impatient look on his face. Sakuragi sauntered back over, as the player checked the ball with Sakuragi.

"I was just showing mercy," Sakuragi commented sourly, trying to cover up his mistake.

_So… this match is like that one I had with that punk Rukawa! Let's see…_ Sakuragi quickly checked over the rules in his mind and felt confident that he could continue without screwing up again.

The scarred player drove in, intent on getting the closer shot. He then pulled the ball out and leaped into the air, preparing to shoot the fadeaway.

"In your dreams!" Sakuragi shouted, soaring into the air and swatting the ball out of bounds. The other players watched in amazement.

"That redhead jumps really high…"

Sakuragi could feel his confidence coming back. "Come on, let's go!"  
  
His opponent took the ball and checked it. He then stepped to the three-point line and shot.

Miyagi's stomach clenched with nervousness. _This could be the end…_

The ball luckily rimmed out, and Sakuragi snagged the rebound.

_Okay… I have to take it out!_ Sakuragi thought, dribbling it to the corner. When he turned back, the scarred player was already crouched in defensive position.

Sakuragi exploded forward with his surprising swiftness, managing to get past his opponent as he leaped into the air.

"Commoner's shot!" he asserted as he laid the ball in. 1-1.

"Haha, didn't expect that, huh?!" Sakuragi gloated as he checked the ball. His opponent, however, didn't answer as he stole the ball from Sakuragi just as Mitsui in his match.

"What…?" Sakuragi said in confusion as his opponent turned and prepared to shoot the jump shot. Just as the ball began leaving his hands, however, a strong force pushed the ball back before he could release it. The ball fumbled out of his hands, and the scarred player turned to see that Sakuragi had blocked the ball from behind.

Sakuragi took the ball and made three quick steps before laying the ball in.

"Traveling!" everyone called in unison.  
  
Sakuragi snapped his head up. "What?!"

Mitsui shook his head. _He's got to stop making these avoidable mistakes…_

"Grr…" Sakuragi growled in rage as he gave the ball to his opponent. The other player did a head fake before going left, confusing Sakuragi as he leapt for the jump shot. It swished through, making the scores 2-1.

Miyagi began looking a bit worried. _Just our luck… Sakuragi faces the only person that seems to play well…_

Sakuragi still didn't look too concerned. He checked the ball and crouched into defensive position. His opponent tried to bounce the ball around the redhead, but Sakuragi managed to get a hand on it and steal it away. Sakuragi turned, but realized that he was too far to use his jump shot.

_Better take it closer…_ he decided, dribbling it forward once before shooting. The ball bounced out.

"No!" Sakuragi exclaimed, outjumping his opponent and taking down the offensive rebound. He jumped to put lay it back in, but the scarred player managed to block the ball enough for Sakuragi to lose control. Sakuragi quickly ran after the loose ball and shot again, this time without coordination. The ball flew past the rim, and his opponent went after it.

_No… I can't let him get it again!_ Sakuragi raced after the ball and dove for it, tripping the other guy but managing to steal the ball away. The Shohoku players winced as Sakuragi's right arm cut open on the concrete court. Sakuragi pushed himself up and managed to lay the ball in this time, his opponent not able to get up fast enough to defend.

"Sakuragi-kun, are you okay?" Haruko asked worriedly. Ayako put her hand to her forehead. _I should have brought the first-aid kit…_

"It's nothing!" Sakuragi waved back, blood trailing down his right elbow. His face showed no discomfort whatsoever as his opponent handed the ball off, both players having skinned their legs due to their fall. Sakuragi's eyes suddenly blended from amusement to seriousness. Miyagi noted the change without too much surprise.

_He wants to win so badly for Haruko, huh?_

Sakuragi dribbled the ball once slowly, then crouched low and ran forward, again using his quickness to beat his defender. He took two steps past the free throw line and glided into the air, one arm fully outstretched and the other trailing behind him. He approached the rim and dunked the ball with his right arm, bending the rim as it held up his weight. The game ended, 3-2.

"Sakuragi-kun, great!" Haruko clapped appreciatively.

"Wow…" the other players muttered. A player stepped out, his hair dyed an almost whitish color.

"Hey, how about an actual match here?"  
  
Miyagi waved his hand dismissively. "Actually, we have other stuff to do. Thanks for playing us." He motioned for the others to leave, ignoring the groans of disappointment from the street players.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Miyagi sighed. "I'm sorry guys, I expected them to be better…"

"Maybe they _were_ good," Mitsui suggested. "It's just they we are the ones that have gotten better."

"That sounds about right," Hiroshi agreed. "Don't worry about it, captain."

Miyagi shook his head. "No, I wasted a day of practice. It was a good idea at the time, but with the next two matches… we really needed to train and—"

"Enough, Ryo-chin!" Sakuragi smacked the short guard on the back, stopping Miyagi's rant. "We'll practice on our own and everything will be fine!"  
  
Miyagi coughed, trying to get his wind back from the strong whack by Sakuragi. "All right," he managed. _Still… what would Akagi have done?_

Rukawa stopped at an intersection. "I'm going home," he announced.

"Oh…" Miyagi turned. "All right, see you."  
  
Rukawa raised his hand then casually sauntered off.

"Well, I'm still up for a little bit of practice," Mitsui grinned. "Interested?"

"It isn't all that late," Ayako interjected, supporting Mitsui. "The sun hasn't even set."  
  
Miyagi scratched his head. "Well, I'd love to, but I'm going to catch up on some sleep. I think you guys should too."

"Wuss," Mitsui joked, running his hand through his hair.

"Whatever," Miyagi laughed. He began walking off. "See you guys tomorrow." His form quickly disappeared, and Sakuragi noticed with slight satisfaction that Ayako had lingered her gaze a bit longer than usual upon Miyagi's back.

"Well, we'll go too," Haruko said, tugging on Ayako. "I wanted Ayako to check over on my project for school."

"Oh… bye, Haruko-chan," Sakuragi said disappointedly.

"Hey, can I have the keys to the gym?" Mitsui asked Ayako. "I really still want to practice."

"Oh sure." Ayako fumbled around her bag and pulled out the keys, which she dropped it into Mitsui's outstretched hand. "Be sure to lock up."

"Right."

"Later boys," Ayako said as Haruko dragged her away. She waved her fan, and the three remaining players waved back.

"Well, let's go then," Mitsui said. "You guys can stick around, right?"

"Sure," Hiroshi and Sakuragi said in unison. Mitsui grinned. "All right, we won't push ourselves too hard."  
  
Hiroshi laughed. "I can tell by your tone of voice that you're going to beat us down."

"Fine, how about this…" Mitsui pondered for a second. "If you guys beat me in a shooting contest, I'll take you out for dinner."  
  
That quickly caught the attention of the other two. "A free meal?" Sakuragi grinned. "Who would turn that down?"

"Okay, let's go then." Mitsui shot Sakuragi a look. "Want to get those scrapes and cuts cleaned up?"  
  
Sakuragi shook his head. "It's okay, I'll wash it when we get back to school."

"All right." The three headed back towards Shohoku High: Sakuragi walking with his school bag slung casually over his shoulder, Hiroshi staring blankly off ahead, and Mitsui quietly contemplating the upcoming matches for Shohoku.


	22. Chapter 21

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews: Mitra1- Good to hear I might have cleared some things up, and it's good to see you review again.

The street match wasn't actually meant to be much. I just wanted to use it to let the Shohoku have something more interesting to do than just scrimmage amongst each other. I didn't want to let the reader keep track of too many new characters, so I just identified the street players through physical traits rather than letting the reader keep track of names. Too much of a hassle to memorize names and then just forget them, you know? It wasn't really meant to boost Shohoku's morale either, since they weren't expecting much to begin with.

Thanks for still reading.

Yun Fei- Of course Sakuragi feels pain, but since he's gone through so much and been in so many fights, I personally feel the guy usually brushes off minor wounds. Plus, Sakuragi isn't really normal in that he can take lots of abuse without too much trouble, such as the fight the Shohoku players had in the gym when Mitsui first made his return to the team. Also, Haruko was watching Sakuragi, so Sakuragi definitely didn't want to appear weak in front of her.

Your story is becoming more and more fascinating, and I'm enjoying it. Update soon, okay?

Fiery Frost- Hi! I hope you did well on your exams!

Wow, I'm personally amazed that you even found the street matches to be interesting. I killed it off because it's too much of a hassle for the reader to remember new names, then have the characters disappear after a few chapters. I don't know if I will do a follow-up, but the option will always be there if I want to pursue it.   
  
Thanks for reviewing, and again, I hope you owned the exams.

Emberlion- Nice to hear you're still sticking along. I agree that the Miyagi and Ayako thing is getting sort of weird, but I just don't think the two really have the courage yet to admit to one another that there are some feelings there that are more than friendship.

Akagi and Kogure will make a reappearance- of this I assure you. However, as to when it will happen, I'm still thinking over it. I know Miyagi seems lost, and he's still struggling to take over the reins of leader, but he needs to figure this all out for himself, just like Akagi did when he became the leader of Shohoku.

You haven't said too much at all, and although it's my story, I love hearing suggestions and comments. It's not like I will instantly brush off ideas if they seem like they'll fit in the story. Thanks for the review.

Mayuki- Hey there. Interesting to see you're from California; I am too.

I'm pleased to see that you're enjoying the work so far, and I thank you for taking the time to read the whole thing, considering that there's quite a few chapters to go through. I'll try my best to continue the quality of the series.

As for the thing about other people commenting about the Shohoku team, thanks for notifying me about it. I know Inoue did that a lot in his manga, such as letting the crowd comment about how the team was playing or how the atmosphere was. I'll try to do it a bit more in the future. Also, as I've said before, I definitely plan on letting the team bond together and become friends rather than just teammates.

Again, thank you for taking the time to read the story.

------------

**Chapter 21- Recovery**

"No, that's not right."  
  
Hiroshi quickly demonstrated his defensive posture again to Sakuragi: knees bent, weight on the heels of his feet, back straight, left arm dangling in front of him and right arm spread.

"Remember, the right arm is used to block the opponent's path if he tries to drive and the left is to steal passes or the ball, if given the opportunity. Switch hands when necessary." Hiroshi straightened. "Try again, and be sure to keep relaxed. That way you'll react faster and not hurt yourself."  
  
Sakuragi tried to copy Hiroshi, but still didn't look quite right.

Hiroshi scratched the back of his head. "I don't know what to say, but something you're doing isn't right…"  
  
Miyagi sighed. Practice for the day had already adjourned, but Miyagi had tried to hold back the players for extra training. No one was willing, although Yasuda promised to stay after next time. Rukawa and Mitsui were off shooting on their own at the other side of the court, and initially Miyagi hadn't planned anything special. However, he felt that Mitsui was right in teaching Sakuragi as much as possible about the fundamentals of basketball, so he decided to employ Hiroshi to help Sakuragi with his defense more.

It hadn't worked well. While Sakuragi was a very unpredictable defender and could be outstanding at times, Miyagi could tell that oftentimes Sakuragi played by instinct and could probably prevent a few dangerous situations before they even happened. Still, Hiroshi hadn't been able to really teach Sakuragi much and Hiroshi was even reluctant to do so.

_"I can't teach defense," Hiroshi had explained after Miyagi asked him to teach Sakuragi. "It's something you learn through experience. I can give him a basic idea, but everything else he has to go through on his own."_

_Looks like you're right…_ Miyagi thought to himself as Hiroshi kept trying to explain everything to Sakuragi. Fortunately, Sakuragi was a relatively good student and hadn't complained yet.

"Okay, stop right there." Hiroshi stepped behind Sakuragi and gave the small of his back a gentle push, straightening his back further. "Ah, there! That looks better."

Hiroshi sighed as Sakuragi resumed his normal standing position. "Actually, Sakuragi, what I'm teaching you isn't really worth it."

"Hm?" Sakuragi looked at the rookie questioningly.  
  
Hiroshi shrugged. "You're playing center, and usually they don't do this kind of defense. I'm teaching you one-on-one defense, but centers don't do too much ball handling so you won't really have an opportunity to use what I'm teaching you." Hiroshi bit his lip and turned towards Miyagi. "Captain, I don't think what I'm doing will help much. Sakuragi is better off patrolling the paint normally."  
  
Miyagi looked at Hiroshi. "You sure?"  
  
Hiroshi sighed again. "Relatively. If he was still playing the forward position, I'd think what I was doing was right because he has more flexibility in where he wanders on the court. Now that he's center, though…"  
  
Miyagi nodded. "…he isn't going to be doing much perimeter defense. I understand."  
  
Hiroshi gave Miyagi a look. "Besides, what I told you wasn't a lie. Defense is something that's acquired through experience. Passes I couldn't anticipate before I began to predict after playing basketball for a while. Sakuragi might be able to manage as center, as long as he hustles and plays with heart. His instinct seems to have helped him so far, and I didn't see too many problems last game." Hiroshi turned back towards the redhead, who had a confused look on his face as he clearly didn't understand most of the basketball terms Miyagi and Hiroshi were using. "I don't know much about having to guard the paint that much either, so what I tell him might end up affecting his play negatively. I think some of my blocks are luck more than strategy, and it's not like I don't play with my instinct at times." Hiroshi smiled genuinely as he said the last few words.

Miyagi laughed. "I doubt it, but if you think so, I'll go along with it." He turned towards Mitsui and Rukawa. "Hey, let's do some drills, okay?"

"You don't need to remember what I taught you today, Sakuragi," Hiroshi whispered quietly as Miyagi walked over to the other two players. "Use it if you want, but it wasn't really necessary."  
  
Sakuragi grinned. "Hiro, I won't forget what you taught me. This Tensai will know when to use it!"  
  
Hiroshi nodded. "Good to hear that."

"2 on 2?" Mitsui looked questioningly at Miyagi, breaking into Hiroshi and Sakuragi's conversation. "Who's sitting out?"

"Sakuragi."

Sakuragi's ears perked. "What?!"  
  
Miyagi looked over his shoulder. "Sakuragi, I want you to practice dribbling basics with Ayako and Haruko."  
  
Sakuragi's rage died down. _Haruko…?_

Miyagi smiled at Ayako. "Please?"  
  
Ayako returned Miyagi's smile and nodded understandably. "Sure." She waved her fan at Sakuragi. "Sakuragi, come on."

Sakuragi walked off to the two manageresses, both happy and upset. "Still doing basics," he mumbled under his breath as he approached the two girls. Anzai sipped his tea from the sidelines without a word.

Miyagi held a ball out. "Shoot for teams. Let's play up to 7… and let's play by 2's and 3's to make it more exciting."

"7? What a random number," Mitsui commented as walked over to the free throw line. He shot, and the ball went in smoothly. Miyagi went up next and also quickly made his free throw.

"Okay, Rukawa and Hiroshi against me and Mitsui." Miyagi tossed the ball at Rukawa. "Shoot for ball, Rukawa."  
  
Rukawa caught the ball and let fly a three-pointer. It hit the front of the rim and sprang back out.

"Haha! Stupid fox!" Sakuragi laughed. Ayako whacked his head with her fan.

"Pay attention to dribbling!"

Haruko smiled sheepishly. "Ayako, you don't have to hit him…"

"It's necessary, Haruko," Ayako assured. "Now, switch hands, Sakuragi!"

Rukawa shrugged his shoulder absently over the missed shot. He looked over at Hiroshi.

"You get the captain."

"Sure," Hiroshi said, walking over to Miyagi as they began the half-court game. Miyagi checked the ball with Hiroshi, then passed off to Mitsui. Mitsui made a motion forward, then shot a fadeaway over Rukawa's outstretched arm. The ball swished neatly, giving the two seniors the lead immediately.

Miyagi grinned. _Mitsui is shooting better than ever these days…_ He checked the ball with Hiroshi again and passed towards Mitsui. This time, Hiroshi managed to smack the ball away with his left hand, and Rukawa picked up the loose ball. Rukawa wasted no time in driving to the basket and dunking the ball before Miyagi and Mitsui could chase him, tying the scores up quickly at 2-2.

Rukawa gave the ball to Hiroshi, who checked it with Miyagi. Miyagi suddenly realized the massive disadvantage he was in.

_Shit…_ Miyagi thought as he looked up. Hiroshi towered over the short point guard as he heaved the ball to Rukawa before cutting towards the basket. Rukawa faked a pass towards Hiroshi, then shot a fadeaway from the same spot as Mitsui did. The ball went through the hoop, pushing the two younger players into the lead.

_Bastard…_ Mitsui fumed. _Trying to show that you can play just as well as me, huh?_

"Damnit, Micchi! Guard him!" Sakuragi screamed from the sidelines. Haruko was watching the game intently, and thus didn't stop Ayako as she slammed the redhead over the head again with her fan.

Hiroshi checked the ball with Miyagi again before sending the ball straight to Rukawa. Hiroshi cut towards the basket again, and this time Rukawa passed the ball to him.

Hiroshi took one dribble and the ball disappeared before it even hit the floor. Miyagi had used his short stature to his advantage as he stole the ball expertly from under the tall forward.

Miyagi took the ball out and threw the ball straight up as Hiroshi approached him. Mitsui leaped into the air to catch the alley-oop, but Rukawa snatched the ball out of the air before Mitsui could get to it.

"Damn!" Mitsui cursed. _He just jumps way too high…_

Rukawa swung the ball back out to Hiroshi behind the three-point line. Hiroshi faked the shot before bouncing the ball to Rukawa again, who shot the jumper despite the pressure of Mitsui's defense. The ball clanged off the front of the rim and Hiroshi rebounded as Miyagi didn't even attempt to jump for it. However, as soon as Hiroshi landed, Miyagi stripped the ball from Hiroshi once again.

Miyagi grinned to himself as he raced to take the ball out. _Hiroshi obviously doesn't seem to—_

Miyagi's thoughts were interrupted as Hiroshi poked the ball out from behind Miyagi, and the ball went out. Hiroshi raised his hand, despite there not being a referee.

"Out on me."

Miyagi looked over at the tall forward. _Damn, he doesn't even give his opponent time to think…!_

Hiroshi knelt back into his defensive posture as soon as he checked the ball with Miyagi. Miyagi thought quickly, and threw the ball up high, making sure Hiroshi couldn't snatch the ball away with his long wingspan.

Mitsui ran in front of Rukawa, making sure he couldn't get in front of him. Mitsui took the pass and turned, preparing to pass towards a streaking Miyagi.

Or so Rukawa thought, as he fell completely for Mitsui's fake, turning his head to find that Miyagi hadn't moved from his previous spot. He turned back just in time to see Mitsui in the air, shooting the three-pointer. Rukawa leaped into the air, trying to block, but the ball had already left Mitsui's fingertips and caught nothing but the net. 5-4.

"Don't worry about it, senpai," Hiroshi said briskly as Miyagi took the ball. Rukawa, though, didn't look pleased with himself that he had fallen for Mitsui's fake to the point he completely turned his head and let the guy he was guarding get the shot.

_Just one more shot,_ Miyagi thought to himself as he checked the ball with Hiroshi. Miyagi again found himself unable to shake Hiroshi's defense.

_Shit…_ Miyagi tried to look over Hiroshi, but found he couldn't. When he tried to look to Hiroshi's side, Hiroshi simply let his arm follow Miyagi's vision so he couldn't get a completely clear look, taking full advantage of Miyagi's short height and his own long arms. Miyagi finally decided to gamble.

Miyagi tried to dribble through Hiroshi's legs, but the ball hit Hiroshi's ankle instead. Miyagi quickly changed his plans and burst forward, scooping the ball out of the air and going right past Hiroshi. Miyagi's incredible speed and reaction time was unguardable, as neither Hiroshi nor Rukawa were able to recover quickly enough as Miyagi laid the ball in, ending the game.

"Nice, Ryota!" Ayako called from the side. Hiroshi gave Rukawa an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry, my bad."

Rukawa shook his head. "No, they just played better," he asserted in his low voice.

Miyagi wiped sweat off his brow. "Good game, guys."

"Yeah, it was fun," Mitsui agreed.

Sakuragi appeared from out of nowhere. "Can I play now?"

"Sakuragi, finish your dribbling practice!" Ayako called. _How did he slip away like that?_  
  
Miyagi glanced at Sakuragi. "Take it easy. Keep building up the basics. I'll let you play soon." Miyagi turned his gaze to Ayako. "Actually, let's call it a day. We practiced enough."  
  
Ayako nodded. "Okay, sure." Haruko patted Sakuragi on the back. "Just be patient and you'll be able to play soon, okay?"  
  
Sakuragi blushed. "Of course! I'll practice the basics over and over! I'll do whatever it takes!"  
  
Miyagi grinned. _It's nice to have Haruko around to motivate the guy…_

------------

And so the next few days went by about the same. Normal practice, then extra practice for anyone willing to stay. Initially, only Yasuda stayed. Then Kakuta and the two benchwarmers Iishi Kentaro and Sasaoka Satoro began showing up, and soon there were regular 4 on 4 scrimmages. The only one that didn't play in them was Sakuragi, whom Miyagi had confined to working on the basketball basics. Miyagi had assured Sakuragi it was necessary, and with Haruko around and Ayako's fan hovering over his head, Sakuragi kept complaints to a minimum. After the extra practice, when the two mangeresses and the other players left, Miyagi had stayed behind with Sakuragi to further work on the basics. Hiroshi, Rukawa, and Mitsui all managed to find time to stay around as well, but merely practiced on their own.

Before they knew it, it was the final day of practice before the Shoyo match.

"Hey, listen up," Miyagi said as the players gathered around him. Practice was about to end.

"Play hard tomorrow," Miyagi said to his players. He pulled out the stats sheet that Ayako had given him from the Kainan-Shoyo match.

"I've studied this a bit. Without Fujima or Hanagata, their lineup has taken a serious hit." Miyagi sighed. "And since most of their lineup last year were seniors, there's only one starter returning: Itou Taku. From the looks of it, he was the only to play decently on the team. He had…" Miyagi looked at the stats sheet. "…21 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and a block. No one else on the team scored in double figures." Miyagi turned back to his players. "Size-wise, the team has again shrunk a great deal. Last year, the starters were all very, very tall. Apparently, no more." Miyagi smiled. "Don't underestimate them… but don't be afraid. I'm sure we can win."  
_  
But as for Kainan, I'm not so sure,_ Miyagi thought silently.  
  
Miyagi waved them off. "Okay, off you guys go. Show up early tomorrow. We're going to be playing at Shohoku."

Most of the team went off, leaving twelve people in the gym: the starters, Kakuta, Yasuda, Kentaro, Satoro, the two mangeresses, and Anzai.

Miyagi quickly got down to business. "Rebound practice first. Line up."  
  
The players obeyed without a word. Miyagi tossed the ball at the backboard, and it bounced off. Miyagi leaped into the air and caught it and bounced it off the backboard again. Rukawa caught it this time and bounced it off, and Mitsui was next. The players ran through this drill five more times before Miyagi stopped them.

"Okay, let's do some dribbling." He took two balls and dribbled down the length of the court, dribbling with both his right and left hands, a ball in each. He then turned and raced back before handing the balls off to Hiroshi. Hiroshi copied Miyagi and soon all the players had gone through the dribbling drill.

"Passing now!" Miyagi announced. He motioned to Yasuda, who walked up to his long-time friend. The two then raced downcourt, throwing passes to each other as they went up and down the court. All the players followed suit, with Miyagi working with Sakuragi again due to the odd number of players doing the drill, then repeating the drill a few more times with different kinds of passes. By the time the group had finished Miyagi's various drilling, the high school was abandoned.

Miyagi sighed. "Okay, we've done more than enough today. I don't want to get you guys too tired for tomorrow. Practice adjourned."  
  
Miyagi turned towards Sakuragi. "Also, no need for extra practice today. Get some sleep. Let's all rest up for tomorrow."

"I agree," Mitsui said, watching the two talk. "Better for us to be fresh tomorrow rather than exhausted."

"Also, I was hoping we could catch some of the Kainan-Ryonan game tomorrow," Miyagi added, as he walked over to get his things. "It would be nice to see how strong the new Kainan team is."

"Don't worry! This Tensai will lead us to victory!" Sakuragi grinned, loud enough for Haruko to hear.

Rukawa didn't say a word as he gathered his stuff too. Kakuta, Yasuda, and the two benchwarmers had already left.

"Oh, um, hey…"

Ayako turned to see Miyagi looking slightly nervous behind her. "Yes, Ryota?"

"Um, Aya-chan…" Miyagi looked down at his feet, a slight blush on his cheeks. "I was just wondering… well, if you have some time…"

"Ryota, stop muttering and look at me."  
  
_How can I look into your eyes…?_ Miyagi thought, but obeyed Ayako's request, tilting his head slightly upwards. His head was immediately smacked.

"Ryota, were you looking at my chest?!" Ayako's voice snapped him to full attention, and Miyagi thought he was doomed. However, Ayako had a smile on her face that showed she was just kidding.

Miyagi took a quick breath. "Aya-chan, do you have some time? I was thinking we could go get something to eat, and…"

Ayako's smile faded a bit. "Ryota, I'd love to, but I have to go home early tonight. Sorry."  
  
Miyagi's face collapsed into disappointment. "I see. Well, that's okay. Let's do it some other time."

"Definitely." Ayako turned, waving at the players. "Gotta go boys. Later."

"Let's go home together!" Haruko called, walking towards Ayako from the other side of the gym.

"Ah, sure," Ayako said. The two girls briskly left the gym, leaving a rather disappointed Miyagi behind.

"I heard something about food, Ryo-chin…" Sakuragi wrapped his arm around the short guard's neck. "Are you going to take us out for dinner after such a grueling practice?"

Hiroshi shot Sakuragi a look. "Um, Sakuragi, I don't think you should be bothering the captain right no—"

"All right."

The few remaining players looked at Miyagi, stunned. Even Sakuragi looked taken aback.

"Ah, you will?"

Miyagi turned towards the players. "Yeah, let's go get some beef bowls or something. You too, Rukawa," he added before the cold basketball player walked off.

"Hm?" Rukawa looked at Miyagi with slight surprise in his eyes.

"Coach, you want to come along too?" Miyagi asked the plump coach.

"Ho ho ho…" Anzai laughed, waving his hand. "No, Miyagi-kun. Enjoy yourselves."

"We will," Miyagi said. He put his sunglasses on, despite it being relatively dark outside. "Let's go, then."

Mitsui looked at Miyagi with sympathy. _Idiot… trying to hide those teary eyes…_

Miyagi walked out first, waiting for the other starters outside. A wind blew, and Miyagi quickly wiped his eyes before the other players came out.

_It seems much colder tonight…_ Miyagi thought sadly._ I guess… I asked her too soon…_

"Hey, Ryo-chin!"  
  
Miyagi turned, slipping his sunglasses back on. Sakuragi was standing, grinning at the entrance. The gym doors were shut behind him.

"Congratulations, Ryo-chin!"  
  
Miyagi looked at Sakuragi in astonishment. "…What?"

"Looks like you and Ayako are going to get along well soon, eh?" Sakuragi had a sly smile on his face.

"What? She rejected me…" Miyagi said bitterly.

"Nah."  
  
Miyagi looked back up. "What do you mean?"  
  
Sakuragi's face turned a bit more serious. "You know, I've been dumped a lot. I can tell when it's a rejection. Ayako didn't deny your invitation completely, did she? She even agreed to go out with you some other time, right?"  
  
Miyagi mulled over this for a second. "But… girls always just say that to make the other person feel better…"

"Well, Ayako turned you down before, right?"  
  
Miyagi sighed. "Yeah…"

"She didn't lead you on, right? She just completely turned you down?"  
  
Miyagi finally realized it. "Yes… so she wouldn't drag this on if she didn't…" His face slowly began to glow with hope.

"Hanamachi! I might have a chance!"  
  
Sakuragi laughed, and the gym door opened behind them. Hiroshi walked out, seeing the two teammates chuckling.

"Did I miss something?"

"No, no…" Miyagi grinned at the rookie. "Ready to go?"

"Sure. As soon as the others are ready, let's go."

Mitsui and Rukawa soon came out, with Mitsui smiling at the small group. "Feeling better, Miyagi?"  
  
Miyagi looked at Mitsui. "Yeah."

"Good."

Hiroshi looked at the two, then suddenly his eyes lit up. "Oh, so Miyagi-senpai wasn't rejected?"

Miyagi punched the tall player on the shoulder. "Shut up! Not so loud!"  
  
Hiroshi also grinned at the captain. "Hey, that's great news."  
  
Miyagi scratched the back of his head embarrassingly. "Yeah…"

Rukawa just stared at the group conversing amongst each other without a word.

"Well, let's go. I'm hungry," Sakuragi complained.

"It's not like we'll be paying for you anyway," Mitsui said, a faint smile on his lips.

"What?! That's the only reason I'm going!"

"I'll pay if you really don't have any money," Hiroshi offered, trying to console Sakuragi.

So the five Shohoku players began walking into the sunset, with Miyagi leading the starters, Mitsui still with a hint of a smile on his face, Rukawa actually looking comfortable being with the group, and Sakuragi and Hiroshi talking in the back as they headed for the nearest place to eat.

And for once, the new Shohoku starters looked at peace with each other.


	23. Chapter 22

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews: Shadowcleaner- Haha, thanks for both reviews. Don't feel stupid, the only reason you made a mistake is because of my erratic updating schedule.

Emberlion is right about the Sannoh games. They're exclusive only to the manga, and I think they start around volume 25… not completely sure, but it's definitely around there. A wonderful scanlations group, the Tensai Manga Project, have scanned and translated the entire manga online. If you're interested, give me your e-mail address and I'll be sure to send the link to you.

Emberlion- Oh… sorry, but once you finish this chapter, you'll likely be disappointed. –sweatdrop- I'll try to show more character interactions and some humor in future chapters, but I also want to progress the plot as much as possible.

As for your first fic., don't worry about it. Even if it's your first, you should post it when you can because or you'll never know if you're some future genius writer. Of course, since you have a busy schedule… just let writing be a hobby, and not a priority, because life comes first.

I actually don't update too fast… chapters take only about roughly an hour to write, sometimes a lot more time if I hit a block, sometimes less when I'm really inspired and everything flows.

Thank you for still reviewing, and I'll look forward to your writings.

Mitra1- Wow, you're pretty observant. Yep, Miyagi initially agreed to the whole going out thing because he wanted to forget about Ayako, but once Sakuragi cheered him up, it was too late to back out so he had to go.

Miyagi isn't really the main point of the view of the fic.—it's still Sakuragi. However, just like Inoue did, he would often share points of views of all the players at certain times, and right now it's just Miyagi's time... it will keep shifting, but Sakuragi is still the main point of the fiction.

Thanks for the review.

Yun Fei- I actually don't know too much about street basketball, just from what I've picked up when I play. Thanks for the compliment though.

I wanted to portray Kainan as still a very strong team… but something is lacking in them, and it will be up to Shohoku to attack the weakness. And certainly, since Kainan is fighting for their pride, it will be a tougher match than the one Shohoku had with Ryonan.

As always, thanks for sticking with my story. Your story is going very well, and for anyone reading, go read Yun Fei's story, which is superior to mine in every way. : )

Mak- Yep, go Ayako-Ryota! Haha, thanks for reviewing man.

Anonymous-  Hey, thanks a lot for the comments, although your praising me a bit excessively. I don't think I can carry on the legacy of Slam Dunk… only Inoue alone can. Still, thanks for giving me a review, and I'll try to write to the best of my ability.

---------

Chapter 22- Anticipation 

"All right!"

The Shohoku bench erupted in cheers as the timer clicked down to zero. "We won!"  
  
The scoreboard read 68-42, Shohoku's win by a comfortable lead. The Shoyo team and Shohoku team met in the middle, and the players bowed.

"Thank you for the game!"

Fujima had managed to attend the game, but Hanagata and the other players were nowhere in sight. Fujima sighed in disappointment, and walked off to meet his former team in the locker rooms.

Miyagi slapped hands with all his teammates. Miyagi had managed 5 points and a respectable 10 assists in the game.

Sakuragi sat fuming on the sidelines. Although the tall redhead had scored 6 points and ripped down 11 rebounds to go with 2 blocks, he had fouled out in the second half and was disappointed that Haruko had to see him leave the game. Mitsui, who had 17 points, had tried to console him when he had left the game to rest but Sakuragi wouldn't have any of it.

Hiroshi smiled happily, tasting his first victory as a Shohoku player. Although he only had 8 points, Hiroshi had managed 5 steals and held the star player Itou Taku to 3 points on 1-11 shooting. Hiroshi also created havoc by forcing 7 turnovers on Shoyo's star player, but Hiroshi was again forced to the bench relatively early due to some problems with his stamina.

However, everyone regarded Rukawa as the best player in the game. Obviously still upset at the loss suffered at Sendoh's hands, Rukawa exploded for 32 points in the match, with 20 points in the first half, as if he was trying to prove that he wouldn't just give up after being outclassed in the Ryonan match. Still, this brought little satisfaction for Rukawa, who knew that what he did didn't mean anything until he could prove that he was better than Sendoh in an actual match.

Anzai smiled at his players. "Very well done."

"Well done?! I fouled out!" Sakuragi began slapping the coach's double chin. "How is that acceptable?! Let's go complain right now!"  
  
Ayako's fan immediately smacked the redhead. "Stop it!"

Hiroshi patted Sakuragi's back. "It's okay, man. I'm sure this doesn't happen often."  
  
Mitsui sweatdropped. _Good thing Hiroshi wasn't here last year to see Sakuragi foul out so many times…_

Miyagi quickly checked a nearby clock. "Hey, if we hurry, we might still be able to catch some of the Kainan-Ryonan game."

Rukawa's ears perked. _Ryonan…_

"All right, let's go then," Mitsui said, heading towards the lockers to change. "Might as well see what Kainan plays like, right?"

"Are you girls coming to watch the match?" Miyagi asked as he began following Mitsui.

Haruko waved her hand. "Ah, no, Brother is coming home to visit from college today…"  
  
Miyagi nodded. "All right, see you girls later."

Sakuragi mumbled bitterly about fouling out as the rest of the team went off to change, with Anzai and the two manageresses hanging back to chat about the game.

After changing, the Shohoku starters walked as a group to catch a train to see the game. They saw a rather familiar figure also waiting for the train.

Miyagi looked ahead. "Fujima…"  
  
Fujima turned. "Ah, Miyagi." Fujima looked at the new Shohoku team. "Nice to see you guys again."  
  
The former star of Shoyo, who had done double duty as both point guard and coach, still looked about the same. His face now looked more mature, and he was still as lean as ever. Nothing much had changed about Fujima, and Miyagi was glad to see he wasn't too upset that Shohoku had essentially ruined Shoyo's chance of making the IH tournaments.

Hiroshi stared at Fujima. "Oh, nice to meet you… I'm Hiroshi…" Hiroshi stuck out his hand, and Fujima shook it firmly.

"You played very well today, Hiroshi," Fujima commented. "It's rare to see players who care about defense nowadays."  
  
Hiroshi grinned in embarrassment. "Well, it's just something I had to pick up on."  
  
Miyagi pointed towards the approaching train. "You going to the Kainan-Ryonan match too?"  
  
Fujima nodded. "Yeah."  
  
Sakuragi swatted the former star on the back. "Ah, ditching college? Good work! I don't blame you!"  
  
Fujima coughed, then laughed. "Sakuragi, good to see you haven't changed." The train pulled to a stop in front of the players, and they all piled in.

The train was relatively crowded, so all the players had to stand. Miyagi looked at Fujima. "So how's it been going?"  
  
Fujima stared absently out the train. "Okay, I guess. There hasn't been anything new in my life, if that's what you mean. I still follow basketball, and I plan on showing up to watch the IH matches."

"Oh…" Miyagi felt a slight pang of guilt for eliminating Shoyo. Fujima sensed Miyagi's discomfort and chuckled.

"Don't worry about knocking off Shoyo, Miyagi. You were the better team, just like when you beat us last time. I can't say I'm not upset, but it's understandable that you would win." Fujima tilted his head slightly towards Miyagi, but still didn't look directly at him.

"Miyagi, your new team is strong. I didn't expect much because your team is lacking a true center, and most of your players are undersized." Fujima turned his gaze towards the rest of the Shohoku players, who were talking amongst themselves. "…But somehow, your team is still strong. I don't know what it is, exactly. That new player you guys have is good, but he's no Maki." Fujima laughed bitterly. "Mitsui is still a great shooter and his stamina has improved too. Sakuragi seems about the same, and Rukawa is Rukawa, no explanation needed. Yet…"  
  
Fujima trailed off. Miyagi sighed, finishing Fujima's thought. "…without Akagi, you didn't expect us to play so well. You figured that since we lost such a capable leader, scorer, and defensive presence, that Shohoku couldn't hold up."  
  
Fujima nodded. "Yes." The two fell silent as the train sped onwards.

"Have you seen the new Kainan team?" Miyagi asked, breaking the silence that had settled.

Fujima finally turned his head towards Miyagi, giving the point guard an odd look. "I have, but not too much. The team is actually playing very well, even without Maki." Fujima sighed and looked back out the window. "That's Kainan for you. They didn't make the IH tournaments 17 years in a row for no reason. They always manage to pick up talented guys... especially point guards."

"Anyone we should be on the lookout for?"  
  
Fujima grinned, still absorbed with the passing scenery. "Worried?"  
  
Miyagi involuntarily grinned too. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't."

"Their new lineup is very strong. Jin and Kiyota are the returning starters, and their new additions aren't bad. Someone you better look out for is Kainan's new point guard, as I mentioned. His name was…" Fujima place a hand on his forehead, trying to remember. "Takeshi Junko, if I remember correctly. He's a much different player than Maki, from what I hear. I haven't seen him play yet, because in the games I went to, the starters were already benched because the team was winning by so much." Fujima laughed at his last comment.

"People say he has the quickest and most explosive first step witnessed in high school basketball, maybe ever. It's been said once he uses it… it's undefendable. People have gone so far as to give him the nickname 'Ghost,' simply because that first step is so fast that the defender thinks he disappears."  
  
Miyagi felt a chill grip him. "…Exactly how fast are we saying?"

"I don't know. As I've said, I've never seen him play yet. It's rumored he isn't the nicest guy around, though. Supposedly got into fights with Jin and Kiyota over who is the real captain of the team; really arrogant guy, from what I hear. I'm not sure what Maki thinks of the him, but if that is really the case, then Maki will likely visit from his college just to set Takeshi straight." Fujima smiled. "Maki doesn't like kids that aren't respectful and don't give Kainan a good image."

Miyagi stared out the train blankly. _Is he faster than I am? Because of my height, my speed is my only weapon…_

"Captain, we're almost there," Hiroshi called from the front.

"Ah, okay Hiroshi," Miyagi straightened his sunglasses. "Let's go, then."

The train slowed, then stopped. The players walked out, towering over most of the other Japanese around them. They walked for a bit, falling into an uneasy silence before they finally reached the Ryonan gym.

As soon as they stepped through, Mitsui looked at the scores in surprise. "Ah…"  
  
It was 101-98, Ryonan's lead, with 1:45 remaining in the second half. Hiroshi scratched his head. "What a high scoring game… especially for high schoolers…"

Sakuragi snorted in disdain. "They probably don't have much of a defense."

Miyagi's eyes trailed the floor as the gang took a seat. He made sure to sit next to Fujima if he needed to ask him anything. Interestingly, no one in the crowd seemed to recognize the Shohoku team, even though the team was giving Ryonan some problems just a week ago.

"That's probably him."  
  
Miyagi followed Fujima's gaze to the ball-handler. The ball handler quickly pulled up for the three-pointer, barely giving Kainan's offense a chance to set up. The ball clanged off the front rim and Takuma took the rebound.

Miyagi watched in skepticism. _That's Takeshi Junko…? The execution of that shot was horrible!_

Sendoh soon got the ball and slipped right past Kainan's defense, passing off at the last second to Fukuda who scored a bank shot. As soon as the ball went through the net, making the scores 103-98, the referee motioned that Kainan was taking a timeout.

Sakuragi grinned as he saw someone he recognized. He quickly yelled.

"Wild Monkey!"  
  
The crowd looked at the redhead with shock, and Kiyota turned around, looking for the source of the voice. The longhaired guard hadn't changed too much, except he seemed to have gained some muscle. Kiyota was then tapped on the shoulder by the lanky shooter Jin, motioning for him to pay attention to the coach.

Sakuragi laughed to himself. "I bet that Wild Monkey already forgot about this Tensai!"  
  
Mitsui smiled faintly. "Somehow, I doubt that."

Hiroshi and Rukawa, on the other hand, were relatively quiet as they watched the court intently, apparently trying to study the two teams. Occasionally, Hiroshi would lean over and whisper something to Rukawa, pointing at one of the teams, and the cold forward would either simply nod or shake his head in reply.

Sakuragi looked at the two in interest. _I wonder what Hiro and the fox are talking about?_

"I think it'll be Jin."  
  
Sakuragi and Mitsui began eavesdropping on Miyagi and Fujima's conversation, as the two talked about what Kainan will be doing for the last few possessions.

"Jin is likely going to shoot the three," Miyagi guessed. Fujima nodded.

"I agree, but I'm sure they'll do something to keep Ryonan guessing. Takoto is an excellent coach, especially when it comes to things like strategy."

The referee blew his whistle, signaling the end of the timeout. The two teams came back onto the floor, with Sendoh looking completely casual. Mitsui watched Ryonan's ace take the floor, and shifted his gaze to Rukawa, who had a blank stare on his face.

_Sendoh sure looks confident… he doesn't even seem to be trying too hard in this game,_ Mitsui thought. _How can he look like that when his team isn't leading by that much?_

Sendoh noticed the Shohoku group, and offered them a sunny smile, still as friendly as ever. The gang, along with Fujima, raised their hands in response, while Rukawa didn't move at all. Sakuragi was the only one to give Sendoh a wide grin back as he raised his hand.

The referee gave the ball to Kainan's point guard. The point guard inbounded to Kiyota, who gave the ball back to him immediately. The point guard faced Uekusa, and the next second he was racing for the hoop with Uekusa still crouched in defensive position, not recognizing the fact that Takeshi was already past him.

Miyagi's eyes widened. _No doubt about it anymore… Takeshi Junko!_

"No mistaking it," Fujima whispered. "That sort of first step… it matches the rumors. It must be him."

Sendoh was the only one who seemed to have recovered from the speed, and was leaving his man open to defend. Takeshi swung the ball out to the person Sendoh just left behind.

Jin.

Jin shot the three pointer with the same effortless grace he always did, and the ball swished through the net, bringing Kainan closer to Ryonan, 103-101 with 1:01 left. The Ryonan crowd booed loudly, but Sendoh still looked carefree as he inbounded the ball to Koshino.

"The match is over."  
  
The Shohoku players whirled around, their eyes finally stopping on Rukawa, who's low voice was the origin of the bold statement.

"What do you mean, Rukawa?" Mitsui asked.

"Sendoh doesn't seem worried right now… it means he knows he can win," Rukawa answered coolly. The Shohoku players went over this assertion in their minds.

The crowd's renewed cheering snapped the players out of their momentary daze. They turned back to the floor, watching Sendoh drive the ball in. Sendoh pulled the same move he did last trip down except this time he passed to Takuma, who made a thunderous dunk.

Rukawa shrugged, as if he just made his point. Takeshi took the ball and dribbled downcourt, then drove in again without waiting for his teammates to get ready.

Even Fujima looked astounded. "He's not playing like a point guard at all…"  
  
Takeshi threw the ball upwards, but the ball rimmed out. Sendoh snagged the rebound, then took his time going back upcourt as he drained the clock of precious seconds.

Sendoh abruptly threw the ball high into the air, letting Fukuda catch it. Fukuda then passed it straight to Koshino in midair, and Koshino shot a jump shot that rattled in. 107-101.

"Yeah… it's over…" Mitsui agreed, as the clock now read 35 seconds. Takeshi took the ball and again raced downcourt, not passing to anyone. He stopped at the three-point line and shot a three that bounced off the front of the rim. Takuma took the rebound, and the Ryonan crowd began celebrating as the seconds wound down.

Fujima continued watching, slightly stunned. Miyagi felt a little better, but something still gnawed at him with uneasiness. _That speed…_

"Let's go," Mitsui suggested as he stood up. Hiroshi nodded.

"You wanted to go see Sendoh?" Hiroshi asked Fujima giving the former star a look.

Fujima nodded. "Yeah."

"We'll see you then, Fujima," Miyagi said as he climbed the steps to get out of the gym. Fujima waved.

"Good luck in your games. I hope to see you guys in the IH tournaments."

The Shohoku team walked out into the sunlight. Mitsui stopped in his tracks, suddenly remembering something.

"Hey, I'm going to go back in. I'm sure they have the stats sheet of the match by now."

"Okay," Miyagi said. "Should we wait for you?"

"Nah, go on ahead," Mitsui replied, waving them off. The other players nodded, then walked off.

Mitsui walked back into the gym, and found some of the scorekeepers. He requested a stats sheet, and after a few minutes wait, someone handed it to him.

Mitsui quickly scanned over it. Sendoh apparently didn't light it up like last time, making 16 points, but getting 8 rebounds and dealing out 12 assists.

_Pretty high assist count…_ Mitsui thought as his eyes traced down the page. Fukuda and Takuma were the leading scorers, with Fukuda making 31 and Takuma making 23, along with 14 rebounds. Koshino had made 13 points, and Uekusa 8 points. A few of Ryonan's bench players had made some points, but that was pretty much it.

Mitsui reached Kainan's stats. Kiyota had made 22 points, and Jin 35 points— 18 points off three pointers. Mitsui saw Takeshi Junko's name, and remembered.

_Hm, Fujima and Miyagi were talking about him…_ Mitsui looked at his totals and almost did a double take.

32 points, along with 7 rebounds… but only 3 assists, and an unstable 5 turnovers.

_They're right… these aren't the stats of normal point guards…_ Mitsui scratched his head. _How strange…_

The new center of Kainan, apparently named Masami Shinjirou, had a double-double: 11 points and 10 rebounds. _Not bad… Sakuragi better keep an eye out for him…_

The rookie power forward of the team, Taro Tezuka, pooled in only 2 points, and had 1 rebound. Mitsui considered this for a few seconds. _Taro was playing against Fukuda, who is weak in defense… either he didn't get the ball much, or he isn't that good. If it's the latter, we better let Hiroshi switch off on him sometimes to double-team…_

"Thank you," Mitsui said, handing the stats sheet back. _Ayako should be getting one soon too… but it's better I tell the team about it now…_

Mitsui walked back out of the gym and waited at the train stop.

But still… Sendoh didn't look worried during that match at all. Either he felt confidence in his team, or Kainan is harboring a major weakness…

Mitsui stared blankly at the sky. _Can we really beat Kainan? Wresting away that fame… 17 years of entering the IH matches… is it even possible?_

Mitsui briefly thought over the matchups, but found himself stumped. _Miyagi against that Takeshi… they're two different players… and the Kainan team is really different now… I can't predict anything…_

Mitsui stared at his hands. _Can I even outshoot Jin?_

Mitsui sighed as the train approached, as he realized that he still had no idea what to expect.


	24. Chapter 23

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews: Migo- Takeshi is a bit more than he seems, and I'll be sure to try and show that in the future. Thanks for reviewing.

Laziness Incarnate- Hey, long time no see!

I'm glad to see that the Kainan team sounds interesting. It was sort of challenging for me to imagine an almost completely revamped Kainan team, considering only two of the starters were returning. I think it will be good practice for me when I have to develop more teams in the future, and I'm glad you think it was a good decision for me to spend a chapter just analyzing the new Kainan team.

I knew there had to be a few people that liked Fujima out there, and I felt it was an appropriate time for some of the old characters to make their return. Nice to see that you are a fan of the guy, considering there actually aren't that many who support him.  
  
Again, thanks a lot for reviewing and continuing to follow my story.

Tensai AJ- Hi there! I'm flattered that you think this could almost serve as a worthy sequel to the Slam Dunk series, since I believe I can't really challenge Inoue's genius.

Haha, interesting to see a guy who doesn't like Steve Francis. You must be glad to see him off to Orlando, right? I'm also somewhat of a Houston fan, and I also thought Steve Francis didn't really play like a point guard, and even under Van Gundy's system, he didn't do well. At least in Orlando, he'll be able to run the floor more. It will be interesting to see how T-Mac does next year.

Thanks for the review, AJ.

Mitra1- Wow, you didn't like Slam Dunk because of Sakuragi? Sakuragi was one of my favorite characters… actually, I liked all the characters in Slam Dunk. : )

Kainan still had the potential to be the best. Shoyo was crushed by Kainan and Kainan did draw pretty close to Ryonan, so they won't be pushovers.

I actually did write up about a portion of the Shoyo match, but then just thrashed it. It got sort of hard to create characters out of thin air, as well as create a new coach for Shoyo since Fujima left… so I decided to just skip to the end. –sweatdrop-

Thank you for reviewing, Mitra1.

Shadowcleaner- I sent the link, so don't worry about it. Glad to see you liked the chapter, and thanks for continuing to read.

Yun Fei- Yep, Mitsui is slightly worried over his ability, since Jin is one of the few three-point shooters that rivals Mitsui.

Sendoh is indeed a genius, and his analytical skills aren't really normal… I mean, he's a small forward that plays the point guard better than most true point guards. He knows when to attack weaknesses and when to make the right plays, and I agree that is what makes him an outstanding player.

I always had this feeling that Rukawa views Sendoh as not really a true rival per say, but a person that really challenges his ability and helps push him to be better. I'm sure Sendoh thinks the same way, or he wouldn't give Rukawa advice or accept that one-on-one match prior to the Sannoh game. Sakuragi is just a friendly guy, so he doesn't really hold a grudge against anyone in particular. ; )

I think it's odd that I have a larger audience than you, considering that your story is written very well. It isn't flattery, but I truly do believe that your story oftentimes surpasses mine, and I hope others will read your story and understand why I enjoy it.

Thank you for reviewing. I'll be sure to make the Kainan-Shohoku match relatively exicting. At least, I hope I will. : )

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Chapter 23- Anxiety 

The sun slowly began to set, and the court steadily darkened. Still, a solitary basketball player kept shooting jumpers and honing his offensive moves.

As soon the shot went through the net in a familiar swish, the ball would be scooped up and shot again. Even though visibility was decreasing, Rukawa kept shooting as he thought about the Kainan match.

A week had almost passed again, and the Kainan match was to happen the day after tomorrow. Shohoku had been informed that they would be playing at Kainan… meaning that the home crowd might be raucous, especially now that both Shohoku and Kainan were fighting for the final spot for the IH matches.

Unlike Mitsui, Rukawa had no qualms with knocking Kainan off. In his mind, defeating Kainan was another obstacle to proving Shohoku was strong. But, like Miyagi, Rukawa still felt slight worry in the back of his mind that he had tried to reason away.

_Sendoh wasn't worried… why should I be?_ Rukawa thought stubbornly, taking a dribble to his right and shooting another jumper. _Kainan doesn't even have Maki anymore…_

Still, the previous Kainan match still sat in Rukawa's memory. His explosion of scoring hadn't been enough to push Shohoku over the top, and he still blamed himself for the loss just as much as all the other former Shohoku members did: Sakuragi because of his bad pass, Mitsui because of his missed three pointer, Miyagi because of his inability to guard Maki in the second half. Rukawa gave the team what it needed in the first half when Akagi was out—scoring. And in the second half, he was among the four defenders trying to control Maki's might… but he was the only one that was forced to leave the court at the end.

_Damn…_ Rukawa stopped shooting and held the ball at his side. Rukawa knew that he still wasn't the best in Japan.

_Who do you think is the number 1 basketball player in Japan…?_

Rukawa decided that it would be pointless to keep shooting and started to leave the court. He tossed the ball casually in the air as he walked towards his bike, as he kept thinking of what was in store for Shohoku.

_…It must be the one who can lead his team to victory!_

 ------------

Meanwhile, Hiroshi and Sakuragi were still practicing in Shohoku's gym. Mitsui and Miyagi had already left, and thus the gym was empty except for the two tallest players in Shohoku's starting lineup.

"Genius, isn't it Hiro?" Sakuragi laughed, having made a jumper a couple feet from the basket. Sakuragi had practiced basics again for the whole week, with Mitsui and Miyagi staying after each practice to watch the redhead practice even more. Hiroshi was the one to stay today, since Mitsui and Miyagi both had things to do.

Hiroshi grinned. "Yeah, that was nice." Hiroshi picked up the ball and passed back to the redhead, who caught it and quickly laid it in under the backboard.

Hiroshi nodded in approval. "Good." He took the ball and passed it back to Sakuragi.

Sakuragi passed it right back. "Take a few shots, Hiro!" Sakuragi invited.

Hiroshi looked a bit surprised, but then chuckled. "Sure." Hiroshi walked past the three-point arc in the right corner, and let fly a three that caught nothing but the net.

Sakuragi took the ball and sent it over to Hiroshi. Same result—a swished three pointer. Sakuragi passed the ball again without a word, but this time Hiroshi missed. Sakuragi leaped into the air and snagged the rebound instinctively.

"Nice rebound," Hiroshi complimented. Sakuragi passed to Hiroshi yet again, but Hiroshi immediately bounced it back to Sakuragi.

"I'm here to watch you practice, not the other way around," Hiroshi laughed. "Go ahead."  
  
Sakuragi smiled. "Sure, watch this Tensai!"

Hiroshi watched Sakuragi in silence. _Well, the other guys were right… this guy picks up skills really quickly. His shots and rebounds are looking a bit smoother… but there's still a raw power behind them that shows he has so much potential left…_

Hiroshi scratched his head as Sakuragi fumed over a missed jumper. _Where did they pick this guy up? I've never seen anyone like him…_

"Commoner's shot!" Sakuragi laid the ball in as he yelled. Hiroshi smiled.

"It's getting pretty dark, Sakuragi. Ready to go?"  
  
Sakuragi turned. "Sure, Hiro."

The two gathered their things in silence, and locked up the gym. Hiroshi jangled the keys in his hands a bit before placing them in his pocket. The two players took off in the same direction, which surprised Sakuragi a bit.

"You're going this way too, Hiro?"  
  
Hiroshi grinned at the redhead. "Yeah, I am."

"Where do you live?"  
  
Hiroshi made a motion to his left. "In that direction."

Sakuragi beamed. "Hey, I do too!"  
  
Hiroshi laughed. "That's interesting. I don't think we live in the same place, though, because I've never seen you around."

What Hiroshi said turned out to be right, because in just a matter of minutes Hiroshi mentioned to Sakuragi they were close to where he lived.

"Oh, okay," Sakuragi said. "Are you sure your parents won't mind you being so—" Sakuragi quickly shut his mouth when he noticed Hiroshi frown a bit upon mentioning the word "parents."  
  
Sakuragi's berated himself. _Shit, I forgot that he's an orphan like I am…!_

"I don't have any parents," Hiroshi said flatly, his usual calm and carefree demeanor turning slightly dreary.

Sakuragi quickly recovered from his mistake. "Ah, me neither!" He gave Hiroshi a slap on the back, as if being an orphan was okay. "Don't worry about it!"  
  
Hiroshi looked at Sakuragi, regaining his composure a bit. "Oh, really?"  
  
Sakuragi nodded. "Yeah, my dad died a few years back and my mom died when I was a kid. I live alone in the apartments down there," Sakuragi continued, motioning further down the street.

Hiroshi sighed, apparently a bit uncomfortable talking about himself. "Well, my mother and father died in a car accident when I was in elementary school. I still have an older sister, but she's working in Narita, supporting us both…" Hiroshi looked at the darkening sky, a few stars already visible as he trailed off.

Sakuragi's usually cheerful face also turned a bit grim, and his eyes grew a bit more mature, just as it always did when matters became more serious. "I see…"  
  
The two reached an intersection, except unlike when Mitsui and Sakuragi had gone out to eat and Sakuragi had headed off alone, Hiroshi followed Sakuragi down the left path. A heavy air hung around the two, as they both shared a common burden.

"Well, that was awkward."  
  
Sakuragi looked at Hiroshi, who now had a faint smile on his face.

"Sorry I acted that way. It's just that I feel I owe so much to my sister, and even to my parents… except when I think about it, it sort of paralyzes me, you know?" Hiroshi turned his head towards Sakuragi, his typically clear eyes slightly teary. "I want to grow up to be someone they're proud of… I want to live my life to it's best. I think that's the only way I can pay them back." Hiroshi's voice cracked a tiny bit on the last sentence, visibly saddened.  
  
Sakuragi patted Hiroshi on the back. "I understand, man." The two continued walking as Sakuragi comforted Hiroshi, who still had a slight smile on his face and tears that wouldn't fall from his eyes. "I understand."

------------

"Man… those two are late…" Miyagi muttered, as the players went through some drills. It was the final day before the Kainan match, and Miyagi was putting the players through their regular workout regime.

"That's odd… Hiroshi is late sometimes, but Sakuragi usually comes more or less on time," Mitsui commented as he dribbled a ball alongside Miyagi as they ran around the court.

As if on cue, the door swung open, and Sakuragi and Hiroshi sauntered in. Sakuragi had his usual grin, and Hiroshi had his usual casual look on his face as he walked in with his hands in his pockets.

"Ready to kick some ass today Hiro?"

"Of course, my friend."

Miyagi watched the two with slight curiosity. Hiroshi and Sakuragi were very focused as they joined the workouts, so Miyagi didn't reprimand them for being late as they worked hard for the rest of the practice. Before the Shohoku players realized it, practice was over.

"All right," Miyagi said, as some of the players leaned with their hands on their knees gasping for breath. "Tomorrow is the Kainan match, as you all know. We're playing at Kainan high school, so try to keep your focus even if the crowd gets rowdy. Give it your best shot, since if we lose, a couple of us will be forced into an early retirement." Miyagi said the last few words a bit jokingly, but it still carried significant weight.

Mitsui nodded. "Treat tomorrow like an elimination game, which is what it will be. The IH tournament's atmosphere will be similar to what we face tomorrow, so it will be a good experience for all of you."  
  
Miyagi chuckled. _Actually… the Inter-High games carry much more pressure…_

"Don't worry!" Sakuragi interjected. "You have this Tensai on your team, so we won't lose either way!"

"Um… right," Mitsui said dryly.

"Anything to add? Rukawa?" Miyagi asked. Rukawa shook his head silently.

"Sensei, is there anything you want to say?" Ayako asked the coach. Haruko looked at the coach questioningly as well.

Anzai sipped his tea. "No, Miyagi-kun and Mitsui-kun have said all that needs to be said."

"Okay, head on home and get some rest," Miyagi said, shooing the players off. When the gym had basically emptied, Miyagi heaved a massive sigh.

"Worried, are we?" Mitsui patted the short guard's shoulder, having seen Miyagi finally relax a bit. "Don't worry, lead us well captain."

Miyagi gave Mitsui a smile. "All right… if I don't, you'd probably beat me up for giving you an early retirement."  
  
Mitsui laughed. "My retirement was supposed to be last year, you know. I'm still hanging in there."

"Don't get tense, senpai," Rukawa advised in his quiet voice. Rukawa spoke a bit more recently, and even though it was only with the Shohoku starters, he seemed more comfortable with interacting with the group. "If the rest of the team sees you worried, they'll worry too."

"Rukawa's right, we have faith in you," Hiroshi agreed. Sakuragi clapped Miyagi on the back.

"Right! And you needed that fox to tell you that? Shame on you!"

Miyagi laughed. "You idiots, get out of here. Practice is over for today."

"Ryota, you look a bit embarrassed," Ayako teased from the side. Hearing his crush's voice caused Miyagi to stiffen slightly.

"Ah, I'm not Aya-chan," Miyagi insisted, scratching his head nervously. Ayako smiled at him in skepticism.

"Oh, really?"

"Sakuragi-kun, good luck tomorrow, okay?" Haruko said to the tall redhead while Miyagi panicked over talking with Ayako. Sakuragi instantly complied.

"Of course! I'll give 100% of my effort! 110%! I'll carry this team to a win!"

Haruko smiled. "Brother said he may show up for some of the IH matches… if you guys make it, that is."

Mitsui nodded. "That sounds like Akagi all right… he doesn't have faith in us unless we show some results."

"We _will _win! Right guys?" Sakuragi growled threateningly at the other players, making sure they agreed in front of Haruko.

Miyagi nodded, since Ayako was right next to him and he wanted to motivate the other players. Mitsui also nodded. Hiroshi simply smiled ambivalently, and Rukawa sighed a small mushroom cloud and shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

"There! See? They all agreed!" Sakuragi laughed. Haruko giggled.

"That's great news. I'm sure Brother will be pleased if—_when_ Shohoku makes it to the IH matches," Haruko corrected herself with a smile.

Sakuragi melted. _What a gorgeous smile…_

Mitsui quickly whispered something to Hiroshi while Sakuragi swooned over Haruko. Hiroshi nodded without a word, and gathered his stuff before walking out.

"Sakuragi, mind coming along? I wanted to show you something." Mitsui tapped the center on the shoulder.

Sakuragi snapped to attention. "Okay, Micchi."

"See you tomorrow, Sakuragi-kun," Haruko waved. Sakuragi waved back.

"See you, Haruko-san!"

Miyagi shrugged as Ayako drifted away to talk to Anzai. "I better get going too. Later girls. Bye, Sensei," Miyagi raised his hand in the coach's direction, and Anzai also raised his hand in return. Rukawa followed Miyagi out the door.

"Where you guys headed?" Miyagi asked as soon as he got out of the gym.

"Somewhere," Mitsui simply said. Miyagi raised his eyebrow.

"Oh? Where is this 'somewhere?'"   
  
Mitsui grinned. "You'll probably find out tomorrow."  
  
Miyagi didn't press the matter. "All right, then. Just don't wear yourself out, okay?"

"I won't."

"Okay," Miyagi said uncertainly. "Well, I'm going home. Later."

Miyagi and Rukawa both began walking off, while Sakuragi and Mitsui trudged on. Soon, they reached the basketball courts where Miyagi had taken them for the street match.

Sakuragi instantly remembered the place. "What are we doing here, Micchi?"

Hiroshi had already cleared out half the court for the three to use and was waiting for the two to arrive. Mitsui dropped his bag at the edge of the court and pulled out a basketball that he had taken from the gym.

"You're about to see. Defend me, Sakuragi."  
  
Sakuragi looked at Mitsui questioningly, then dropped his bag and chased after Mitsui without brooding over it. "You underestimate this Tensai, Micchi!"

Mitsui grinned inwardly as he raced onto the court. He stopped, and made sure Sakuragi caught up to him and was guarding him from the front. Mitsui then raced right.

Sakuragi followed Mitsui's movements, then smashed into an obstruction. Sakuragi involuntarily took a step back to catch his balance, and managed to see a wide-open Mitsui shoot a smooth jumper that swished through the net.

Mitsui turned to Sakuragi. "The only reason I got open was because of Hiroshi."

"Hiro?" Sakuragi tilted his head, and saw that Hiroshi was the one blocking Sakuragi's path.

"What's the meaning of this?!" Sakuragi roared.

"It's called a screen."  
  
Sakuragi looked at Mitsui. "A screen?"

"Right. To put it simply, it's when a player on the same team acts as a sort of obstacle for the defending player, so that the shooter can get a better shot. Hiroshi just demonstrated that for you."  
  
Hiroshi nodded, and winced slightly. Sakuragi hit Hiroshi with a great deal of force, and Hiroshi had barely kept his balance after the two collided. "When you're defending another person very closely, often you're peripheral vision decreases as you focus your full attention on the person you're guarding," Hiroshi explained. "It's sort of an involuntary action, but it happens to a lot of people. And because you don't really notice what's going on next to you, running into a screen will be so surprising that it will give the shooter plenty of time to take a shot."

Sakuragi still didn't really get it, and Mitsui noticed. "Okay, let me demonstrate again. You just stand there."  
  
Sakuragi obeyed, and Mitsui nodded towards Hiroshi. Hiroshi got the message and took Sakuragi's place as defender.

"Now, you'll act as the screen, Sakuragi." Hiroshi and Mitsui went through the routine again, this time slowly.

"You were guarding me, but the screen was already set in a manner that you didn't notice it. So while I dribble…" Mitsui took a few dribbles to the side, and Hiroshi bumped lightly into Sakuragi. "…the defender will run into the screen, and it will give the shooter a better shot because he lost his defender. You see?"

Sakuragi understood. "Very interesting, Micchi…"

"Right. The screen is also called a pick in pick and roll situations… but I'll explain that in detail some other time, because it's a bit more advanced. For now, let's just focus on screens and how to set them."

And so Hiroshi and Mitsui demonstrated to Sakuragi the screen a few more times, and explained to Sakuragi how to avoid using illegal defensive measures, such as the moving screen or holding an opponent back after they bumped into Sakuragi. They also explained the danger of acting as a screen—after all, setting a screen against a monster of a player will only result in Sakuragi getting hurt. The timing of the screen was also taken into consideration, so Sakuragi wouldn't commit a foul when he set the screen.

And so the three continued practicing the screen as the day wound down; sometimes Sakuragi would be the screen, and sometimes Hiroshi would set a screen for Sakuragi to shoot a jump shot.

"That's enough," Mitsui said. He pointed at the sky. "The sun's almost gone. We should stop."

"Right," Hiroshi agreed. "Sakuragi, as the center, you'll know when to set screens. Sometimes we'll call for them, and sometimes you'll just know when to help your teammates. Don't get hurt, and don't hurt the other players, okay? I know setting hard screens is perfectly fine, but you should still try to avoid injuring other players."  
  
Sakuragi grinned. "Why would I do something like that?"

Mitsui chuckled. "Somehow, your words don't make me feel any better."

"What the hell does that mean, Micchi?!" Sakuragi began chasing after the shooter, and they ran around the court while Hiroshi just smiled tolerantly.

_Sakuragi really will be taking Akagi's role…_ Mitsui thought as he tried to dodge Sakuragi's assault, remembering the arguments that he had between Akagi over who was the captain of the team, and how Mitsui had tried to get Akagi to set screens for him before but was always refused. It wasn't until the Sannoh game that they had trusted each other's playing style, and helped one another. Mitsui suddenly felt nostalgic, but a great hope was born in his heart.

_Akagi… I'm sure Sakuragi will make you proud…_


	25. Chapter 24

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Chapter 24 - Damage**

"Looks like the gang is all here."

Haruko turned in her seat, instantly recognizing the familiar voice of Sakuragi's best friend.

"Youhei! How are all of you doing?" Haruko smiled to the Sakuragi Army, the entire group just settling into their seats behind the girls. Haruko and her two friends, Matsui and Fujii, had come relatively early to snag their seats. As usual, Haruko had made sure that the seats behind her were saved for the Sakuragi Army so the two groups could chat while the game went on. Their close vicinity was all the more important today, as the Kainan gym was already almost completely full and buzzing with activity and murmurs.

"Hanamichi better not mess up," Ookusu commented, scratching his blonde hair absently. "This game will decide if Shohoku can get into the Nationals, right?"

"Sakuragi-kun won't," Haruko said stubbornly, immediately sticking up for the redhead. "He promised to help Shohoku win."

"Let's hope so. I don't think we're the only ones that still remember what happened the last time he played against Kainan," Youhei said solemnly, lacing his fingers behind his head.

The small gang reflected silently on the final pass of the Kainan match last year: a game-ending turnover in which Sakuragi passed to Takasago, the center of the Kainan team, instead of Akagi.

A singular thought had never left anyone's mind since that day:

_If Hanamichi had made the correct pass… what would have happened?_

"It might affect Sakuragi-kun's performance to have such memories," Fujii said quietly, looking as if she wanted to forget that mistake herself.

"Shohoku needs everyone to play their best to win," Matsui added.

"I'm sure our captain will be able to help everyone get into the right frame of mind," Haruko assured the others, nodding assertively to convey her confidence.

"Right. Miyagi's the captain," Youhei agreed, relaxing somewhat. "I'm sure he already has a plan for the team."

"I have no freaking idea what to do," Miyagi moaned, resting his hands in his palms. Miyagi had run into the restroom and locked himself in one of the stalls, trying to seek refuge from the sounds of the crowd and the sight of the players. What's more, he didn't want Ayako to see him nervous.

_How did Akagi deal with this pressure?_ Miyagi wondered as he pondered his situation. _My brain feels cloudy just trying to formulate what to say to the players…_

The creak of the stall's door next to his snapped Miyagi out of his thoughts, and in the exact same moment the Shohoku captain heard a very familiar voice huff a major sigh of his own.

"Calm down. Calm down. What the hell am I going to do?"

Miyagi's ears perked. "Mitsui? That you?"

"Miyagi?"

The two seniors of the team cautiously exited their stalls, awkwardly staring at one another as they came to terms that there was no getting out of this one. After a few moments of blank staring, Miyagi couldn't help but laugh.

"Worried, vice-captain?"

"This happens to me all the time," Mitsui shrugged, a smile of his own stretching across his face now that the tense moment had passed. "It's more of a surprise to see you here, captain."

Miyagi shook his head, not understanding.

Mitsui sighed lightly. "I thought we told you yesterday. Don't panic over this or some of the team will follow your example and worry."

"I just wanted some quiet, that's all," Miyagi lied, trying to deny his nervousness.

Mitsui didn't fall for it. "Right. Look, we all get nervous. Just because you're the captain doesn't mean you can't be nervous. But it's almost game time, and it's time for you to get back in the proper mindset. Akagi had moments where he got nervous, but come game time he would always lead without fail. You know that."

Miyagi considered these words, reflecting on the stability that Akagi brought to the team.

"I'm not Akagi."

"No. You're not." Mitsui turned to leave. "The void Akagi left is too big for any of us to fill. So be Captain Miyagi instead."

Mitsui stepped out of the restroom with just those words of encouragement.

"Hey."

Mitsui glanced over his shoulder, heeding Miyagi's hail. Miyagi nodded once, wanting to say thanks but finding himself not quite able to. Mitsui nodded back just the same, recognizing that. Miyagi fell into step next to Mitsui and the two sauntered back to the lockers, the momentary moment of weakness already forgotten.

The rest of the Shohoku starters were dealing with pre-game anxieties in their own way. Hiroshi, typical to his behavior, didn't know what to expect so he didn't look worried about the match at all; instead he was sitting at one of the benches, deep in thought over the matchups. Sakuragi was sitting on the floor, his back propped against the wall, looking as if he couldn't wait another second to just get onto the court. Rukawa was standing just far enough away from his rival with a stoic expression, his arms crossed, one foot against the wall and the other on the floor.

Anzai and Ayako were the first to notice two seniors' return, with Ayako immediately stepping up with a scowl on her face.

"Did you guys forget there was a match today?" Ayako asked impatiently.

"Sorry," Mitsui said bluntly before he made his way over to stand next to Sakuragi. Miyagi quietly assumed his position next to Anzai, already felt the blood rushing to his cheeks when he had heard Ayako's voice.

Anzai cleared his throat, ready to begin his pre-game speech.

"As you all know, today's match will determine if Shohoku is worthy of taking the last seat available in Kanagawa to the Nationals. Ayako has informed me that Ryonan had defeated Shoyo earlier today. This means Ryonan will be the other team representing Kanagawa."

_Not a surprise there,_ Mitsui thought.

"Kainan High is a remarkable school with a history of winning. For the past 17 years, they have made it to the Nationals without fail."

Anzai paused and looked at all his players, gauging their reactions.

"What they did in the past does not matter today. You must all have the determination to win. You must all be focused on just one single game. It takes only one single moment to change the path of history."

Anzai fell silent as the cheers of the gym began to grow louder, echoing into the lockers.

"It's time to go," Ayako said simply.

Miyagi took a breath and nodded confidentially. "Guys, this one is ours for the taking!"

The other players roared in agreement before making their way to the corridor leading to the main court. Rukawa quickly tugged on his arm band, Miyagi slipped on his wrist bands, Mitsui checked that the protective brace around his left knee was in place, and Hiroshi and Sakuragi tugged on their shoes as the starters readied themselves for the game.

Sakuragi grinned as his shoes slipped on, the Nike Air Jordans bringing him so many memories from all the matches he had as a member of the Shohoku team. His smile froze midway when he abruptly remembered a mistake he made at this exact gym last year.

A single wrong pass.

"_**It takes only one single moment to change the path of history."**_

_No no, I'm over that!_ Sakuragi shook his head and rose to his feet, trying his best to pump up his own morale.

"Let's kick some ass!" Sakuragi shouted, galloping towards the exit.

Ayako gave Miyagi a discreet pat on the back. "Ryota. Good luck out there."

"Ah… thanks…" Miyagi turned his head just enough so Ayako wouldn't see the blush on his cheeks.

Miyagi quickly strode out of the lockers, catching up with the rest of his teammates as they stepped onto the courts. The sight of the large crowd was awe-inspiring, and even their previous match against Ryonan could not compare to the amount of people that had shown up to support Kainan High.

Mitsui nudged Miyagi and pointed to the stands discreetly. Miyagi followed the direction that Mitsui was referencing to and was greeted with an unsurprising sight: the Ryonan High basketball team. Fujima was sitting just behind the group—it was likely that Sendoh had seen the former star and had actively recruited them to all sit together.

Rukawa, if he had seen Ryonan, didn't show any signs of recognition and instead focused his attention towards center court where an announcer was trying to quiet the crowd.

"Oh man, they're going to do the whole introductions things again, aren't they?" Miyagi groaned, remembering. Mitsui sighed in agreement, looking none too happy about the extent of the attention they were getting.

"Kainan doesn't do things halfway," Mitsui commented.

The young man at center of the court, cleared his throat loudly into the microphone.

"Everyone? Everyone, may I have your attention please?"

The crowd's volume lowered somewhat but there was still a great deal of jabbering going around. The announcer continued despite the noise, aware he would not be able to get everyone to focus for such an important game.

"Let me introduce the starters for today's match. Red Team, Shohoku High. For the guard positions, #4, Ryota Miyagi..."

Miyagi quickly stepped onto the court and blocked out the comments from the crowd, knowing that some who were seeing him for the first time were undoubtedly making fun of his short stature.

"… and #5, Mitsui Hisashi."

Mitsui tugged at his shorts as he stepped up alongside Miyagi, the two seniors all business. A small cheer erupted from one corner of the gym, the source being none other than Nori and the other group of gangsters that still followed Mitsui's basketball career.

"For the forward positions, #11, Rukawa Kaede and #13, Kazuo Hiroshi."

Hiroshi didn't seem bothered by the amount of attention that Kainan was offering a no-name rookie like himself, instead sidling up next to Miyagi and keeping his gaze away from the crowd. The Rukawa Brigade erupted in cheers as Rukawa took the court, loud enough to overwhelm some boos from the Kainan supporters. A large majority of the crowd seemed to at least recognize Rukawa, and a lot of whispering and pointing went on as soon as Rukawa strode up to join his seniors.

Rukawa, of course, ignored it all.

"For the center position, #10, Sakuragi Hanamichi."

"Hanamichi!" the Sakuragi Army screamed from the stands. Just like Rukawa, Sakuragi was also being recognized, with a few pointing out his strangely colored hair: some with familiarity, some with jest, and others with horror.

"Hm…" Sakuragi said disappointedly as he joined the rest of his teammates, looking the least pleased out of the group. "I was expecting more attention for this Tensai…"

"White Team, Kainan High," the announcer continued, his words followed by a deafening cheer from the crowd. The Shohoku players' hands quickly shot to their ears.

"It's so damn loud," Miyagi shouted.

"What?!" Mitsui yelled in response.

"I said it's really loud!"

"What?!"

Miyagi shook his head, realizing that no one would hear his words.

"At the guard positions: #14 Uchimura Takeshi and #7 Kiyota Nobunaga."

The females of the audience took full control of the cheers this time, seeming to be completely stricken by the looks of Takeshi and Kiyota. While Kiyota was welcoming the attention, Takeshi merely kept his hands on his hips, looking impatient to just start playing.

"At small forward, #4 Jin Soichiro. And at power forward, #10 Tezuka Taro."

Joining the adoring cheers was loud applause upon the mentioning of Jin, who had now become captain of Kainan High after Maki retired. The crowd clearly appreciated the work Jin had put into the team, as well as his boyish good looks.

"At center, #15 Abe Masami."

Abe took the floor with a calm demeanor. The new frontcourt of Kainan seemed as dangerous as before, with Tezuka sporting an athletic, wide frame and Abe with enough height and length to look like a legitimate threat.

The applause and cheers finally quieted as the players lined up in the middle, sizing each other up as they went around shaking hands.

Ayako quickly consulted her stats sheet, seeing the matchups for herself.

**Point Guard **

#4 Miyagi Ryota (3rd year)- 170 cm, 60 kg

#14 Uchimura Takeshi (1st year)- 179 cm, 65 kg

**Shooting Guard: **

#5 Mitsui Hisashi (3rd year)- 186 cm, 71 kg

#7 Kiyota Nobunaga (2nd year)- 180 cm, 65 kg

**Small Forward: **

#11 Rukawa Kaede (2nd year)- 189 cm, 76 kg

#4 Jin Soichiro (3rd year)- 189 cm, 71 kg

**Power Forward:**

#13 Kazuo Hiroshi (1st year)- 190 cm, 77 kg

#10 Tezuka Taro (2nd year)- 191 cm, 85 kg

**Center:**

#10 Sakuragi Hanamichi (2nd year)- 192 cm, 84 kg

#15 Abe Masami (1st year)- 194 cm, 87 kg

_Pretty much even when it comes to size,_ Ayako thought. _And like I thought, there are two first years for Kainan this time. For a school that prides itself on winning and a heavy selection process, this could only mean that these first years must be clearly superior to the seniors at the same position._

Ayako raised her head, the thought lingering in her mind. _We must not let our guard down, no matter what…_

Miyagi tapped fists with the Kainan players amicably until he reached Takeshi and Jin. With Takeshi, the other point guard clearly did not seem to want to even express any form of sportsmanship and instead tilted his head up in greeting, refusing to bump knuckles with Miyagi.

Miyagi narrowed his eyes in displeasure but moved on to Jin, who took the time to shake Miyagi's hand with genuine respect.

"I had no doubts that we would play against each other again this year, Miyagi," Jin smiled, placid as ever. Miyagi couldn't help but return his smile.

"Wouldn't want to play against any other team. Beating the best will make that Kanagawa seat feel all the better."

"Pride cometh before a fall," Jin said simply, knocking down Miyagi's challenge in an instant. "Good luck today."

Miyagi nodded, giving Jin a pat on the shoulder. "Same to you."

While the captains were shining examples of professionalism, the meeting between Sakuragi and Kiyota could only be dubbed childish.

"I see you have your losing face on today, Wild Monkey!"

"Lose? I don't know what you're talking about, Nationals loser! Kainan High made it all the way to the Finals last year!"

"Only because we beat Sannoh! You guys got the easy route! Because of us!"

"Easy? Or rather, we were so good that we made it _look _easy?"

Sakuragi was on the brink of explosion. "Wild Monkey, you couldn't ever beat us!"

"We did last time, didn't we?"

"You got lucky!"

"Oh, I'm sure," Kiyota shrugged. "How did it feel, passing to the wrong player at the final seconds? Maybe that's why you passed to Rukawa in the Sannoh game… you thought it was someone else?"

Those words really hit Sakuragi hard. Sakuragi didn't really care that he has passed to his rival Rukawa, because Rukawa had returned the favor and trusted Sakuragi with the final shot. However, that remark about messing up last year…

"I'm going to kill you!" Sakuragi was stopped by a swift kick to his rear. Kiyota's insults were also halted by Jin, who was pulling on Kiyota's long hair.

Miyagi looked at Jin. "As I said, I hope we have a good game."

"As do I," Jin repeated, dragging Kiyota away. Miyagi gave Sakuragi another kick.

"What the hell was that?! Stop arguing before a match!"

Kiyota turned towards Rukawa. "Rukawa, I'll be sure to beat you down today too."

Rukawa sighed. "All talk…"

"What?!" Kiyota began to race towards Rukawa, but Jin tugged on Kiyota's ear this time to stop him.

"Quit it," Jin said absently, dragging Kiyota further away.

Hiroshi scratched his head, not really understanding what just went on. Mitsui sighed.

"Idiots…"

"Might want to control your own players. Shohoku captain."

Miyagi turned towards the voice. It was from Takeshi, who had a grin on his face that wasn't kind at all.

Miyagi didn't care. "I don't control them. I lead. Kainan newbie." Miyagi quickly walked away, not noticing that Takeshi's face had darkened.

On the sidelines, Anzai and Takato were similarly greeting one another with a handshake.

"Good luck today Anzai-sensei," Takato said simply, fanning himself with his signature fan.

Anzai nodded, the two recognizing that there wasn't much to say to one another for such an important game. "And you as well."

Meanwhile, Sakuragi and Kiyota shot each other threatening looks.

Sakuragi went up for the opening tip against Masami.

"Here it goes…" Ayako whispered from the sidelines. Anzai nodded quietly.

The Sakuragi Army and Haruko's group watched in anticipation. _Good luck…_ Haruko thought as the ball flew into the air.

"Mine!" Sakuragi exploded into the air, obviously still angry over his argument with Kiyota.

Miyagi's eyes widened. _He's… jumping even higher than usual!_

Sakuragi tapped the ball to Mitsui, who quickly passed to Hiroshi. Hiroshi began running towards Shohoku's basket, and cut right between Taro and Jin before throwing down a one-handed dunk. 2-0.

"Nice, Hiro!" Sakuragi chortled, as Hiroshi and Sakuragi high-fived.

_Good, morale is looking stable…_ Miyagi smiled to himself.

Mitsui watched Jin move downcourt, then shifted his attention back to Kiyota. Kiyota grinned at Mitsui.

"Sure you can guard me?"

"Positive," Mitsui said, crouching into defensive position. Jin passed the ball to Kiyota, who brought the ball near his knees.

"We'll see, then," Kiyota burst forward, surprising Mitsui as he went past Mitsui.

Mitsui berated himself. _He's faster, but I should have caught that…!_

Kiyota raced to the basket and prepared for a dunk, again surprising the crowd as he soared into the air with his amazing vertical. However, his dunk was stuffed by Rukawa.

Kiyota opened his mouth in surprise. "Rukawa?"

Hiroshi stretched out his long arm and stole the loose ball from right under Taro. Hiroshi scanned the floor and heaved the ball down to Miyagi. Miyagi caught the ball with his back to the basket, then flipped it behind his head without hesitation.

"What the…" Kiyota managed to say before seeing Sakuragi race from the side of the basket and catch the ball in mid-air before slamming the ball in.

"Wow! Hanamachi!" The Sakuragi Army cheered, as the crowd had grown strangely silent from Shohoku's quick attack.

Sendoh smiled from the stands. "Fabulous pass by Miyagi."

Fujima nodded. "Shohoku seems to be playing with much more teamwork now."

Sakuragi flexed and pumped his hand in the air. "How's that, Kainan?!"

_What disrespect,_ Takato thought from his seat. _Although I must admit, I'm surprised that he seems to be playing pretty well…_

Jin inbounded to Takeshi, but Takeshi took off without even waiting for Jin to step back in. "Hey, Takeshi…!"

Takeshi ignored Jin as he raced downcourt. However, Miyagi followed him easily.

"What's wrong, 'Ghost?'" Miyagi taunted. "You aren't that fast at all!"

Takeshi shot Miyagi a glare. "Shut up."

Hiroshi instantly stole the ball from Takeshi when he turned his head. Miyagi shook his head in disbelief. _A point guard not paying attention to the ball?_

Hiroshi raced downcourt, then bounced the ball behind to Mitsui. Mitsui passed left to Rukawa, who shot a mid-range jumper that swished through. 6-0.

"This is Kainan?" Youhei watched in disbelief. "Shohoku is crushing them…"

Sendoh, however, didn't look as shocked from the upper stands. Fujima gave Sendoh a look. "Shohoku is playing well, huh?"

"Perhaps…" Sendoh replied. "But, I'm not sure even they notice…"

"Hm?"

Sendoh scratched his head. "Well, I didn't notice it at first either… that's why our scores were so high when we played them. But Kainan is forcing Shohoku into their fast tempo…"

Sendoh's gaze shifted down to the court. "I'm not sure how Shohoku will do at such a fast-paced game, but they better be careful… not only are they playing at Kainan's pace, but they're also at Kainan's home court…"

Kiyota took the ball and inbounded to Jin. Jin passed back to Kiyota, and Kiyota took the ball upcourt. As soon as he reached the top of the key, he sent the ball to Taro.

Taro took the ball, and turned slowly. Hiroshi's hand darted out in a blur, knocking the ball out of bounds.

"Kainan ball!" the referee called. Taro looked at Hiroshi in slight awe, apparently having never seen anyone defend him that tightly.

Mitsui noticed Hiroshi's play. _He's shutting down Taro pretty easily… looks like my prediction was right; Taro isn't a very good player._

Taro took the ball out of bounds, and passed right to Jin. Jin prepared to shoot the three-pointer, but Rukawa didn't even move to defend it.

"What's he doing?" Ayako wondered. Then she noticed… Jin had tried to fake Rukawa, but Rukawa had seen through it.

_Damn,_ Jin thought, quickly dribbling right before flipping a pass to Masami. Masami tried to back into Sakuragi, but Sakuragi's mammoth strength held him back.

"Nice try," Sakuragi grunted. "But this Tensai's defensive skills are unsurpassed!"

Masami stopped his dribble, turned, and shot a fadeaway that swished through the net. Sakuragi looked at the center in surprise as Masami jogged to the other side of the court.

Mitsui nodded. _Yep, Sakuragi better be careful… Masami looks like a good center…_

The scoreboard read 6-2, with 18:43 remaining.

Mitsui inbounded to Miyagi, who zipped downcourt, not realizing that using his speed to encourage a fast tempo might be detrimental to the team. Miyagi sent the ball to Rukawa.

Rukawa found himself immediately double-teammed by Jin and Kiyota. Rukawa's eyes darted around the court, realizing that if he was double-teammed, a teammate was open.

The ball found its way to Mitsui, who shot a jumper. It clanged off the rim, but Sakuragi outjumped Masami to take the offensive rebound.

Sakuragi hurled the ball out from the paint and it went straight back to Miyagi. Miyagi paused, then cut into the lane, drawing Takeshi and Masami to him. Miyagi wrapped a pass around Masami's large body, and the ball floated back out to Mitsui. Mitsui's jumper this time was true, as it splashed through the net with a resounding swish.

"Nice rebound! Nice pass!" Mitsui called as he backpedaled onto defense.

Jin took the ball. _Mitsui… you're still such a good shooter…_

Jin passed to Kiyota, who again took the ball up. Kiyota decided to send the ball over to Takeshi, who abruptly shot a three-pointer.

"Hey, don't force it!" Kiyota called, albeit too late. The ball hit the back of the rim and bounced back out, and Sakuragi ripped down the rebound.

"Sakuragi!" Mitsui motioned. Sakuragi immediately passed to Mitsui, who sent a bullet pass right to Miyagi. Miyagi hurled the ball up to the air.

Ayako watched in surprise. _Another alley-oop…?_

Hiroshi leaped into the air, but the ball glanced off his fingertips and went out of bounds. Miyagi smiled at Hiroshi as soon as Hiroshi landed.

"Sorry, the pass was a little high."

Hiroshi grinned. "Don't worry about it."

The referee gave the ball to Taro, who passed to Jin. Jin heaved the ball downcourt to Masami, who jumped into the air to catch the ball. Masami turned, and Sakuragi immediately crouched into defensive position, since the two centers were pretty far from the paint.

Hiroshi watched Sakuragi in approval. _Hey, not bad…_

Masami tried to drive in, but Sakuragi's right hand slapped the ball out from under Masami.

Unfortunately, it went to Jin's hands.

"Uh oh," Mitsui murmured as Jin let fly his three-pointer, despite Rukawa guarding him. The three-pointer hung in the air, then began descending straight to the hoop. It swished through, still continuing the path of an arch after it went through the net. 8-5.

Even Haruko watched in awe. _That shot… was beautiful…_

The crowd applauded. "Great, Jin!"'

Fujima nodded. "I see what you mean, Sendoh. The two teams may be shooting well, but it's going at Kainan's game tempo."

"Right," Sendoh said. "Shohoku might need to slow things down a bit and play tighter defense to avoid playing Kainan style basketball."

Miyagi bounced the ball to Rukawa, and the two went downcourt. Rukawa stopped, then passed to Miyagi. Miyagi skipped the ball to Hiroshi.

Hiroshi tried a fake against Taro, but Taro didn't budge. Hiroshi circled the faked shot attempt around, then exploded forward into a quick dribble that left Taro in the dust. Hiroshi leaped into Masami, then threw the ball back out to Rukawa. Rukawa tried another jumper, but it missed this time.

Sakuragi again took the rebound. "Useless fox!" Sakuragi passed out to Miyagi.

Miyagi watched Takeshi. "For someone that has been hyped so much, I was expecting better competition," Miyagi commented, starting to dribble a bit.

Takeshi clenched his jaw. "I'm going to beat you down, shorty."

Miyagi's eyes narrowed. "I'm not shorty. Don't call me that… ever."

Miyagi raced forward as Masami, Taro, and Takeshi collapsed on the small point guard when he reached the paint. The ball managed to fly out of the group around him and into Mitsui's hands.

Mitsui smoothly shot a jumper that caught nothing but net. 10-5.

Kiyota fumed a bit. "Damnit, how are they beating us?!"

"Keep calm," Jin advised, as he passed to Takeshi. Takeshi apparently didn't heed Jin's advice, as he ran downcourt, again not giving the offense a chance to set up.

Takeshi tried to lay the ball up, but Sakuragi sprang into the air and blocked the lay up. Sakuragi pointed at Takeshi.

"Don't bring those obvious shots into my territory!"

Hiroshi scooped up the loose ball and heaved it downcourt to Miyagi. Miyagi did a smooth behind-the-back pass to Mitsui, who was being guarded by Masami and Jin.

Mitsui dribbled to get a bit closer, then shot a jumper. However, Masami jumped towards Mitsui and distracted him enough for his shot to miss.

The ball managed to bounce back out towards Mitsui. Mitsui leaped into the air and caught the rebound, but when he landed, he felt his left foot land on something awkwardly.

His left ankle turned, and Mitsui's eyes widened in pain. His right foot managed to make contact with the floor normally, but Mitsui couldn't keep his balance. He stumbled forward once, then let go of the ball as he crashed onto the floor.

Masami took the loose ball and threw the ball downcourt to Takeshi. Jin, on the other hand, was already yelling for his team to stop.

"Guys, stop! Mitsui landed on my foot, and he turned his ankle!"

Takeshi ignored Jin as he raced past Miyagi, who was running the other way to check on his friend. Takeshi took the ball to the basket easily and scored on the layup, making the scores 10-7.

Sakuragi was the first to reach Mitsui, who was still on the floor, his two hands wrapped around his ankle and his face contorted in pain. "Micchi!"

"Mitsui!" Nori and the gang called in concern from the stands, seeing their idol hurt. The Shohoku bench stood in horror.

Hiroshi turned towards a referee as he raced to his fallen friend. "We need a timeout. One of our players is hurt."

The referee consented. "Timeout, Shohoku!"

Shohoku's brilliant start had come to an abrupt halt… and there was still 16:58 left for the first half.


	26. Chapter 25

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews: Mitra1- Yep, good memory there about the Toyotama match. And you're right about game pace; if you play at someone else's pace, they'll be more comfortable and have the advantage.

Thanks for continuing to read my story!

Yun Fei- Oh dear… hearing that your story is on hiatus disappoints me. ;-; Oh well, schoolwork is more important. Good luck with that, and don't rush anything; your real life comes first.

Thanks for your comments, although I don't see how the story is getting better, because clearly yours has improved at a much faster rate than mine. : )

Fiery Frost- Yeah, Shohoku lost quite a bit of offensive power and veteran savvy once Mitsui leaves the game. Thanks for the link—I read through all the chapters, and it written relatively well, although I didn't find anything that spurned my creativity. ; ) Thank you for reviewing.

Emberlion- Sendoh is your favorite, eh? He seems to be for lots of people, next to Rukawa.

Yeah, there's a bit more to Takeshi than is presented so far, and I'll try to reveal that later. Still, I'm sure most of the people will still hate his guts.

Your new story, as I said, looks good. And I'm very, very happy to see that you'll write for yourself and not just try to please others; that's a mature way of writing. Hope to see you update soon too.

Laziness Incarnate- Wow, thanks for the great review. O.o

I'm glad you're nitpicking a bit while telling me what you liked. That really helps me with my writing… and what's more, you did catch a few of my mistakes!

I liked the bathroom scene too, but I had no idea how it popped into my mind.

Sakuragi's blonde friend is indeed named Ookusu Yuuji. It was my fault for using Yuuji instead of Ookusu, which is what people are probably more familiar with. I'll remedy that mistake.

Right, last year Kiyota played small forward (I know you meant that, and just confused the power forward and small forward) while Jin played shooting guard. My bad. Your basketball knowledge, as I've said before, is actually stupendous. Still, conceivably, Jin can play the forward spot, and I sort of shoved him there because small forwards usually play off the perimeter. But after you caught the mistake, I gave it some thought and I agree that it might be better for Kiyota to play off the perimeter due to his athletic ability, even with his poor long range shooting. I'll probably make them switch positions later, because it is indeed a good thing to have Rukawa and Kiyota challenging each other. Thanks for catching that.

The first year starters thing… I also regret doing that. The only issue was that not a lot of Kainan players were revealed in the anime or manga, and there was only one bench player that comes to mind… and he was a senior, like most of the players in Kainan, so basically, they should have graduated already. Still, I agree that I should have tossed in a few second and third year players in there. Again, my fault.

Thanks a lot for giving me a lengthy and thought-out review like that. By the way, I recently read and reviewed your Gundam Wing stories, and I must say, they're genius. And I'm glad to see another Douglas Adams fan. : )

Shadowcleaner- Hi there. Hope you did well on your schoolwork, and I don't mind that you didn't reveal because I know what it's like to get caught up in a hectic schedule.

As for the links, I hope they turn out all right. If you have problems, you can ask me, although I can't promise anything. ; )  
  
Thanks for reviewing.

-------

Chapter 26- Hybrid 

Sakuragi grabbed Mitsui's arm and nodded towards Hiroshi. Hiroshi took the other arm, and the two tall players slowly pulled Mitsui to a sitting, then standing position. Mitsui grimaced, balancing on his right foot.

"Take it easy, Micchi." Sakuragi and Hiroshi supported their senior as they brought Mitsui back to the Shohoku bench, with Miyagi and Rukawa trailing the three.

As soon as they reached the bench, Ayako quickly motioned for them to bring Mitsui to the lockers. Mitsui's eyes narrowed.

"No, I have to keep playing…"  
  
Ayako smacked his head with her paper fan. "Don't be ridiculous! Now let's go to the lockers and get you checked up!"

Hiroshi turned his head towards Miyagi. "Senpai, go talk with Anzai. We'll take care of Mitsui-senpai."

"Right," Miyagi said, but he didn't make a move towards the coach.

_Mitsui…_ Miyagi thought worriedly. _What are we going to do without you?_

Hiroshi and Sakuragi gingerly placed Mitsui on a chair in the lockers. Ayako looked up at them.

"Thank you. Go back out, I'm sure Anzai-sensei is planning something. I'll take care of Mitsui-senpai."

"Are you sure you'll be okay, Micchi?" Sakuragi asked in concern.

"Don't worry," Mitsui held his hand up. "Get back out there."  
  
Sakuragi and Hiroshi lingered for a few more seconds, then reluctantly walked out.

"Ayako, I'm fine," Mitsui insisted as Ayako pulled off his shoe. Each tug resulted with a look of pain on Mitsui's face, so Ayako ignored Mitsui's pleas.

Ayako slowly rotated Mitsui's ankle, while Mitsui gritted his teeth.

"Nothing broken," Ayako said. "I'd say it's a minor sprain. You just turned your ankle, right?"  
  
Mitsui nodded. Ayako quickly went to get her first aid kit. "Akagi had a sprain like yours last year, although it seems like his was more severe. As the manageress, I would have to say that you need to sit out this game."

Mitsui looked at the ceiling upon hearing these words. _No…_

"If you rest the ankle, it might be able to get better in a week or so," Ayako said, walking back towards Mitsui. "Of course, that's being optimistic. It takes some people a month to heal a sprain, but since Akagi recovered in a little over two weeks even with strenuous activity, I'm sure you can too." Ayako began taping Mitsui's ankle.

"I'm sorry, but we don't have any ice to put on the sprain," Ayako said quietly. Mitsui shook his head.

"Tape it tighter."  
  
Ayako looked up. "What?"

"I'm going to go back in the game. Tighter."  
  
Ayako sighed. "Mitsui-senpai…"  
  
Mitsui stared straight into Ayako's eyes. "Please."

Ayako mulled over this. _Akagi went back in the game too… but the difference here is, Mitsui's sprain seems a bit milder than Akagi's did…_

Ayako looked back at Mitsui and shook her head slowly. _Resting him is for his own good… and plus, there's no way he can run in this condition…_

Mitsui sighed when he saw Ayako reject his request. "Well, just tape it tighter anyway. I want it to be secure."

Ayako began wrapping Mitsui's ankle, and Mitsui stared at the closed door in slight despair.

------

"Yasuda-kun will substitute for Mitsui-kun."

"Right," Yasuda said, taking off his white shirt to reveal his Shohoku jersey.

"Miyagi-kun will still serve as point guard and handle the offense, but what's important now is to slow the pace down a bit."

Miyagi looked at the coach. "Hm?"  
  
Anzai nodded. "Shohoku is a superb offensive team, but without Mitsui, everything changes. Kainan likes to run the floor, but we need to have them slow down to a jog."

"What the heck does that mean, old man?" Sakuragi scratched his head, not really understanding.  
  
Rukawa sighed. "You won't matter anyway, dou ahou."

"What?!" Sakuragi turned threateningly towards Rukawa.

"Stop it!" Miyagi kicked Sakuragi. "We need to pay attention to the coach!"

Anzai patted Yasuda's shoulder. "Guarding Kiyota-kun will not be easy. He can drive to the basket with great speed and has excellent athleticism. You must force him to take outside shots, Yasuda-kun."

"Right, Sensei," Yasuda said.

The referee whistled, indicating that the timeout had to end.

"Senpai." Hiroshi tapped Yasuda on his back to get his attention. "If that #10 gets a bit hard to guard, just tell me and I'll switch off whenever I can."

"All right," Yasuda said. Sakuragi swatted Yasuda on the back.

"Right, right! And if you want me to help you stop that Wild Monkey, I'm always available!"

"Sure," Yasuda choked as the Shohoku team took the floor again.

Hiroshi frowned. _Our size disadvantage just became much more evident…_

The backcourt of Miyagi and Yasuda were much shorter than Takeshi and Kiyota. Jin took the ball from the referee and inbounded to Takeshi. Takeshi zoomed downcourt, and Jin seemed to have given up trying to discipline him.

Takeshi stopped his dribble when he reached Miyagi. Miyagi watched Takeshi closely as he passed off to Taro, then motioned to have the ball back so he could reset his dribble.

_I see… getting ready to use that first step on me, huh?_ Miyagi felt adrenaline flow into his body. _Let's see it, then…_

Takeshi caught the ball and gave Miyagi a look. His arm made a quick jerk to the right, then he disappeared.

Miyagi stood frozen. _What the hell?_

Takeshi had moved so fast that the rest of Shohoku team wasn't able to help switch off to guard him. Takeshi raced right down the lane then leaped into the air.

Takeshi gripped the ball in both hands, then spun around in the air before slamming the ball in. 10-9.

The Kainan crowd roared in apprecation, while Miyagi looked stunned. _A 360 dunk? He has the same athleticism as Kiyota…!_

"Ryo-chin!" Sakuragi yelled. "Mark your man!"

"I am!" Miyagi said in annoyance. Takeshi looked at Miyagi darkly as he jogged back to defend.

Rukawa inbounded the ball to Miyagi, who took off downcourt.

"Miyagi!" Yasuda warned. "Slow it down!"

A part of Miyagi heard Yasuda's words… but the other part of Miyagi simply ignored it, because only one thing was on his mind.

Revenge.

_Beating me off the dribble, then doing a flashy dunk like that?_ Miyagi thought angrily. _I can't forgive that!_

Miyagi reached Shohoku's side of the court and cut towards the basket. Instead of shooting, Miyagi faked before throwing the ball back out to Hiroshi. Hiroshi tapped the ball right to Rukawa, who dribbled in and shot a running jumper that unfortunately bounced out.

Sakuragi soared into the air. "I got the rebo—"

His words were cut short as Masami and Taro both jumped for the rebound and sandwiched Sakuragi in the middle, with Taro's elbow jamming into Sakuragi's rib and Masami's elbow slamming into Sakuragi's gut. Masami took the rebound, but when Sakuragi landed, he coughed and gasped for air, gripping his side.

"Damnit! Ref, he hit me!" Sakuragi coughed again, the wind knocked out of him. Although Sakuragi could usually take lots of abuse, the blows had come as such a surprise that Sakuragi couldn't ready himself for it.

The referee didn't notice it, so he didn't blow his whistle as Masami passed to Kiyota. Kiyota ran downcourt before snapping a pass to a streaking Takeshi, who laid the ball in because neither Sakuragi nor Hiroshi had managed to get back to defend. 11-10.

Rukawa took the ball without a word and inbounded to Yasuda instead of Miyagi this time.

Yasuda slowly took the ball upcourt. "Okay, let's just get those points back and—"

Kiyota stole the ball from Yasuda while he talked, and sprinted downcourt. Yasuda turned.

"Oh no…" he said quietly as Kiyota jumped into the air to dunk.

"This time it's in!" Kiyota yelled as he soared towards the hoop. Suddenly, two pairs of hands swatted the ball away and Kiyota crashed into a wall of bodies.

Kiyota landed and barely managed to keep his balance, surprised by the hard contact. He turned to see Rukawa and Hiroshi standing there.

"How easy did you think it would be?" Hiroshi smiled.

Takeshi scooped up the loose ball and ran straight towards the hoop. Rukawa instantly sensed Takeshi and turned to defend him.

Takeshi paused, then ran past Rukawa in a burst of speed. He leaped into the air, and this time Hiroshi reached out his lanky arm to block.

Hiroshi felt his hand miss the ball and instead slap Takeshi's arm. _Oh crap…_

Takeshi threw the ball up into the air, and the reverse layup managed to rattle in. 13-10.

The sound of the referee's whistle pierced the air. "Shooting foul, red #5!"

Hiroshi held his hand up, accepting the foul. The players lined up as Takeshi prepared to shoot his free throw.

_Damn that guy…_ Miyagi thought to himself.

Takeshi shot his free throw with a relatively low arc, but it still snapped through the net. 14-10.

Yasuda went to inbound. "Slow it down a bit, Miyagi," Yasuda advised his friend.

Miyagi couldn't calm himself, but nodded anyway. Yasuda gave Miyagi the ball, and Miyagi forced himself to hold back the desire to run the floor.

Miyagi went to the top of the key and quickly checked his options. _I doubt they'll expect Sakuragi to score… so I'll direct the offense through him!_  
  
Miyagi charged in towards the basket, drawing Masami away from Sakuragi. Miyagi reached the bottom of the basket before throwing the ball out to Sakuragi at his favorite spot: 45 degrees to the basket.

"Nice, Ryo-chin!" Sakuragi called as he went up for the jumper. However, suddenly Taro and Takeshi stepped up to guard him.

Miyagi eyes widened. _They're actually marking him?_

Sakuragi realized that if he shot his jumper he would get blocked, so he landed and passed to Hiroshi. "Hiro!"  
  
The referee's whistle blew. "Traveling!"

"What?!" Sakuragi exclaimed. Miyagi kicked Sakuragi in the rear.

"Idiot! You can't land with the ball still in your hands! Pass it off or shoot before you reach the ground!"

"Don't mind, Sakuragi-kun!" Haruko's voice managed to reach Sakuragi from the crowd. Sakuragi blushed and looked towards the stands.

"Haruko-chan!" Sakuragi said with joy.

"Hey, hey, guard your man!" Miyagi kicked Sakuragi again, and Sakuragi turned to see that Masami was already running downcourt.

"Get back here!" Sakuragi sprinted downcourt, stunning the audience.

"That redhead is so fast!"

Takeshi chuckled inwardly. _Those dumbasses…_

Takeshi slowed his dribble a bit, then darted past Miyagi. Miyagi managed to follow Takeshi, but Takeshi quickly pulled to a halt. Miyagi stopped himself from sliding any further, but wasn't able to recover before Takeshi shot a jumper that swished through the net. 16-10.

"Shit!" Miyagi cursed as Takeshi went back downcourt.

Takato laughed to himself while he continued to use his fan. _Having trouble, Miyagi? Takeshi is unlike anyone you have ever played!  
_  
_What the hell?_ Miyagi thought as he dribbled the back upcourt. _Takeshi is clearly no point guard… he's a ball-hogging shooting guard playing the point guard position!_

Miyagi stopped his dribble after he crossed the midcourt line. _Still… why can't I stop him?_

Sendoh nodded from the stands thoughtfully. "Looks like Miyagi is figuring it out… Takeshi is an anomaly." Sendoh looked down at the court. "Now… Miyagi, if you want to be the number one point guard, let's see if you can figure out Kainan's weakness too…"

Hiroshi's jumper clanged off the front rim, but Sakuragi took the offensive rebound again. Rukawa motioned from his side.

"Pass!"  
  
Sakuragi looked at Rukawa. _Why would I pass to you?_  
  
Sakuragi threw the ball towards Miyagi, but Takeshi stole it.

"Crap!" Sakuragi watched unhappily as Takeshi reached the other end of the floor before Shohoku's defense could catch up and laid the ball in. 18-10.

Rukawa sighed. "Dou ahou…"

"Shut up!" Sakuragi fumed.

At this point, Mitsui returned to the bench, leaning on Ayako. He took one look at the scoreboard and scowled. _What the hell are they doing?_

"Mitsui-senpai…" The Shohoku bench stood, watching their senior slowly make his way to a seat.

"Don't mind me." Mitsui waved his hand at the players. "Take a seat, I'm fine."

Anzai watched Mitsui closely without a word.

As soon as he sat down, Mitsui quickly began yelling at his teammates on the floor. "Guys! Don't let them score so much!"

Sakuragi turned towards the voice. "Micchi!"

Miyagi held his hand up as Hiroshi went to the other side of the court to inbound to Rukawa. "You okay, man?"  
  
Mitsui held his hand up in return. "Fine. Just concentrate!"

"Looks like Mitsui is okay…" Youhei said from the stands. Haruko nodded.

"That's a relief… I hope he isn't hurt too seriously…"

Rukawa took the ball upcourt at an even pace, then passed to Hiroshi. Hiroshi gave Rukawa a look, and both of them raced towards the basket at the same time, with Rukawa going from the right and Hiroshi from the left.

Hiroshi easily got past Taro, but Rukawa had a bit of trouble shaking Jin. Kiyota switched off Yasuda to guard Hiroshi, seeing that he had gotten past Taro.

Miyagi watched the two. _What are they planning?_

Miyagi suddenly realized that Takeshi wasn't even watching Miyagi and was also watching the two Shohoku players race in. Miyagi took off before Takeshi turned his head, slightly stunned that Takeshi wasn't even guarding his man properly.

Hiroshi noticed Miyagi out of the corner of his eye and bounced a pass to Miyagi. Miyagi tapped the ball out with one hand to Rukawa, who managed to stay a step ahead of Jin due to his athleticism. Rukawa caught the ball and jumped into the air, crashing right into Masami before awkwardly throwing the ball into the air.

The referee instantly caught the foul. "White foul, #9!"

"Good!" Miyagi clapped Rukawa on the back. Rukawa walked to the foul line without a word and promptly drained both of his free throws, bringing the scores to 18-12.

"Whew, they scored!" Noma breathed a sigh of relief, leaning back in his chair.

Youhei shook his head slightly, although the Sakuragi Army didn't notice him. _But momentum doesn't seem to have shifted back to Shohoku…_

Jin inbounded to Takeshi. Takeshi took off without even a glance at Jin, and Jin just sighed.

Miyagi followed Takeshi with ease. _His running speed isn't too fast… it's just that first step I better watch out for…_

Takeshi quickly stopped at the end of the key and passed to Taro, and motioned for the ball back. Miyagi again realized that Takeshi was going to use his first step.

_Okay… I have to pay attention!_ Miyagi focused his senses, knowing that he won't be able to really guard Takeshi's first step unless he found a way to catch it.

Takeshi brought the ball near his knees, staring past Miyagi. Takeshi suddenly seemed to just blur from existence, and Miyagi stood stunned for a second before turning around.

_I can see him move… but my body can't react fast enough!_

Takeshi took off towards the basket, then threw in a running bank shot even though Yasuda had tried to help Miyagi out, pushing up Kainan's lead to 8.

"'Not fast,' shorty?" Takeshi asked Miyagi coldly. "Think before you open your damn mouth."

Miyagi approached Takeshi threateningly. "What the hell did you just say?"

"Ryota! Stop it!" Ayako called from the benches. The other players quickly pulled the two point guards apart to prevent a fight, although Miyagi and Takeshi kept their eyes locked together even as they were dragged away.

"It's okay, captain," Hiroshi said, walking Miyagi away from Takeshi. "Don't get worked up."

"I'll beat him up for you after the game," Sakuragi suggested cheerfully.

The referee didn't call a foul, but pointed at the two players. "Hey, I don't want to see any of that around here, got it?"

Miyagi didn't nod at the referee, although Takeshi did because the referee was still staring at him. _That punk… _

Mitsui had a worried look on his face. _Look like Miyagi isn't going to let this one go easily… still, he better be careful not to get thrown out of the game…_

"Miyagi! Calm down!" Mitsui called from the bench. "If you're going to stay mad, use the anger constructively!"

Miyagi didn't even turn towards Mitsui as he walked down the court, back turned from the other players so they didn't see him seethe with anger. _I can't let them see me like this… I'm the captain…_

The referee gave Miyagi a distrustful look, then handed the ball off to Sakuragi and blew his whistle, starting the game up again.

Sakuragi passed to Hiroshi, and Hiroshi nodded towards Rukawa. The two went downcourt at a slow pace, keeping in step with each other and letting Shohoku's offense set up. Suddenly, Hiroshi took off, and Rukawa was a step behind him as they split paths again.

Hiroshi, despite his height, handled the ball relatively well and again beat Taro off the dribble. Hiroshi then tried to get past Kiyota, but didn't get too close because he knew the chance of getting the ball stolen, especially after training with Miyagi. Hiroshi then glanced up, and took a shot.

Kiyota watched in surprise, not expecting Hiroshi to shoot. Mitsui, though, realized what it really was. _You think it's a shot…? _

The shot airballed, but Rukawa was right on the other side of the basket to catch the rebound and slam it in. 20-14.

Fujima looked slightly surprised. "That Hiroshi… he and Rukawa somehow set that up…"  
  
Sendoh nodded appreciatively. "Those two are working together superbly." _And that rookie… we really better keep an eye out on him if we play Shohoku again…_

Takeshi went to inbound this time, but Hiroshi's arm snapped through the air and stole the pass away. Hiroshi snapped a pass of his own to Sakuragi, who shot a jump shot.

"Ah! It's off!" Sakuragi realized as soon as it left his hand. Hiroshi prepared to snag the rebound, but Takeshi suddenly flew into the air and took the rebound before Hiroshi even had a chance to jump.

Mitsui recalled the stats of the Ryonan-Kainan game. _Takeshi is a good rebounder as well…_

Takeshi went downcourt and saw Jin was motioning for the ball. Takeshi stared at Jin for a second, then very reluctantly passed it to Jin, as if Jin would mess up.

Miyagi watched this and shook his head. _What poor decision-making… he's definitely just some sort of hybrid of a point and shooting guard…_

Jin passed the ball to Masami in the middle. Sakuragi hadn't managed to get back fast enough, and Rukawa was trying to cover for Sakuragi.

Masami shot another fadeaway, but a streak of red suddenly burst onto the scene and swatted the ball out of bounds hard.

"Fly swatter!" Sakuragi asserted as the ball slammed into a Kainan fan's chest in the stands. Rukawa sighed.

"Guard your own man," Rukawa said matter-of-factly, walking back to mark Jin. "You're taller."

Sakuragi thumped his chest. "Fox, you didn't even need to help! This Tensai knew exactly what he was going to do!"  
  
Rukawa ignored Sakuragi last comment as the referee handed the ball off to Taro. Taro threw a pass towards Takeshi, but Hiroshi's arm darted out again to steal. This time, though, the ball bounced off Hiroshi's fingertips and found its way to Kiyota. Kiyota raced past Yasuda and Hiroshi before they could recover and banked the ball in. 22-14.

"You're going down, Shohoku!" Kiyota taunted as he went downcourt.

"Just watch, Wild Monkey!" Sakuragi shot back as he also jogged onto offense. Yasuda inbounded to Hiroshi, who gave Rukawa a look.

"Looks like they haven't caught on yet… want to give it another go, senpai?" Hiroshi asked Rukawa. Rukawa nodded.

The two again pulled the same play; taking off in different directions and drawing other defenders towards them, trying to free up the middle. Hiroshi managed to shake off Kiyota this time around with a quick crossover and passed to Rukawa. Rukawa barely touched the ball before sending it right back to Hiroshi, who had taken that split second to see if anyone was available. Hiroshi grinned when the ball reached his hands and he simply lobbed the ball up for Sakuragi, who snatched the ball out of midair and threw down a thunderous two-handed dunk.

Sakuragi high-fived Hiroshi, and was about to high-five Rukawa before realizing who it was. He quickly turned around instead and pointed at Kiyota.

"How about that, Wild Monkey?!"

"Shut up," Kiyota grumbled as he went downcourt.

Haruko looked confused. "Hm… I wonder why Sakuragi-kun didn't give Rukawa-kun a high-five…"  
  
Fujii sighed. "Really, Haruko…" Haruko, of course, was still oblivious to what she meant and decided to just stop pursuing the subject.

Mitsui clapped from the sidelines. "Good! Good! That's the way!"

Takato fanned himself calmly. _That rookie Anzai-sensei picked up is dangerous…_

Takeshi gave Hiroshi a hard look, then took the ball and dribbled upcourt, completely focused on Hiroshi. He reset his dribble again to use his front step on Miyagi.

Miyagi tried to back off so it would give Takeshi more distance to cover, but it was too late as Takeshi blew past Miyagi. Takeshi raced straight at Hiroshi, then slammed into him and threw up the ball, crying out and exaggerating his movements as if Hiroshi had been the one to hit Takeshi.

The referee fell for it. "Blocking foul, red #5!"  
  
Hiroshi's eyes widened, and he looked at the referee in shock. "What?! I was just standing there! How do you want me to defend?!"  
  
The referee pointed at Hiroshi. "Raise your hand, #5, or I'll call a technical."  
  
Hiroshi held his tongue, but his eyes had narrowed in anger as he raised his hand, again taking the foul. The crowd was already booing Hiroshi.

"Hey, #5, how could you hit Takeshi like that?!" "Stay off the court, thug!"

A group of female voices also rose from the crowd. "#5, how can you hurt our Takeshi?!"

Anzai sighed from the benches. "Kakuta, substitute Hiroshi."  
  
Ayako looked at Anzai in confusion. "Sensei, I know that Hiroshi is in a bit of foul trouble, but are you sure…?"  
  
Anzai didn't reply, and everyone knew that was the coach's way of staying firm in his decision. He took off his white shirt and went to check in for Hiroshi.

The referee crossed his arms. "Substitution, Shohoku!"

Hiroshi slapped hands with Kakuta as they switched off, visibly still upset. Takeshi went up to take his foul shots while Hiroshi took a seat right next to Mitsui. Hiroshi went into his usual position of placing the towel right over his head as he watched the game in disappointment.

Mitsui saw how unhappy Hiroshi was and patted his shoulder. "Hey, Hiroshi, don't worry about it. The referees around here will support the home team, so there wasn't anything you could have done. You'll be back in soon enough."  
  
Hiroshi forced a smile. "Thanks, senpai."

Ayako gave Anzai a look out of the corner of her eye. _Sensei… I hope you know what you're doing…_

Takeshi missed his first free throw, but made the second. 23-16, with 11:39 remaining. Miyagi noticed that no one on the Kainan team congratulated Takeshi when he made shots or free throws.

_Damn, we lost Hiroshi…_ Miyagi thought, taking the ball upcourt. Miyagi had calmed down a bit from before and was now thinking relatively clearly again. _Kakuta is undersized, so I'll have to try and only pass to him if he's in good position…_

Miyagi threw the ball towards Sakuragi, who instantly turned around and shot a jump shot. Miyagi covered his eyes. _Oh. Crap._

The ball actually managed to hit the rim, but it missed because Sakuragi had shot in such haste. Sakuragi stretched his arm out and stole the offensive rebound from Masami. "See that? Tensai Jumping Power!" Sakuragi laughed as he landed.

"Here, Ryo-chin!" Sakuragi spun around and passed… right to Takeshi.

"What?" Sakuragi looked confused, then suddenly recalled that awful memory of passing to Takasago instead of Akagi. _No… I messed up again…_

"Thanks!" Kiyota taunted as he raced onto the fast break. Instead of giving Sakuragi a competitive boost, the words made Sakuragi feel even worse.

Miyagi raced back to defend, and managed to overtake Takeshi before pretending to steal. Takeshi fell for it and crossed the ball over, so Miyagi deftly knocked it away before it reached the left hand. The ball was hit off Takeshi's leg, and Miyagi caught the loose ball in mid-air before racing back.

Miyagi saw that Sakuragi was now open. "Hanamachi!" He threw the ball right at the Sakuragi, but it slammed off Sakuragi's arm.

_What? Sakuragi not paying attention?_ Miyagi thought in alarm, and saw that Sakuragi's eyes didn't look really focused.

The ball began to roll out of bounds, and Yasuda quickly hit the deck and saved the ball just barely, passing to Rukawa. Rukawa spun around Jin and laid the ball off the backboard, making the scores 23-18.

Miyagi helped Yasuda up and congratulated him on the hustle play, then walked over to Sakuragi and tapped his shoulder. "Hey, Sakuragi? You okay?"

"I'm fine, Ryo-chin," Sakuragi gave Miyagi a bright grin, and Miyagi withdrew a bit.

"Ah… if you say so…" Miyagi said doubtfully. _That look in your eyes a few seconds ago tell me otherwise, though…_

Kiyota took the ball and heaved it downcourt. "Captain!"

Jin jumped into the air and caught the ball. He turned and made a motion forward, but Rukawa didn't fall for it. Jin took a step back and shot a three-pointer anyway that swished through the net, grazing the inside of the rim as it went through. 25-18.

Mitsui watched in shock. _Jin shot such an accurate three even with Rukawa guarding him?_

Kakuta inbounded to Yasuda, who passed to Miyagi. Miyagi instantly took off, using his standard strategy of drawing defenders around him before passing to a wide-open Sakuragi.

"All yours, Sakuragi!" Miyagi called as he slid to a halt.

Sakuragi shot an air-ball.

The Kainan crowd burst into laughter, and even Rukawa looked at Sakuragi with slight astonishment. Miyagi's eyes widened. _What's wrong with him? Even I know he can make that shot!_

Yasuda tried to save the ball again, but didn't get to it in time and the ball went out of bounds.

"White ball!" The referee called.

The Sakuragi Army looked at Sakuragi in shock. "What's wrong with Hanamachi?" Takamiya asked.

Youhei shrugged. "No idea… but he seems to be distracted…"

Haruko looked at Sakuragi worriedly. "Sakuragi-kun?"

And in Sakuragi's mind, another game was going on. It was a game that was being played in the past, and it was a game that couldn't be won by Shohoku, because Sakuragi had made one mistake.

_Gori… I wasted your effort…_ Sakuragi kept thinking. _Even though you played through pain… even if it was your dream to beat Kainan… we lost because of me!_

Sakuragi's mind kept playing the same scene, over and over, as the game continued around him.


	27. Chapter 26

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews: Yun Fei- Wow, I made Takeshi that hateful? Good. : )

Miyagi is still a troublemaker at heart, and so that's why he has difficulty controlling his emotions. Plus, he's still trying to assume the leadership role, and so sometimes he makes mistakes. Rukawa and Hiroshi didn't really figure out Kainan's true weakness, but attacked Kainan's poor defensive ability instead.

Your new chapter was very good, so I'm looking forward to more. Thanks for reviewing once again!

Tensai AJ- Hey, nice to see you again. Takeshi isn't based off Steve Francis, although I can see why you would associate him with old Franchise. Thanks for reviewing and continuing to read my story.

Kenjiro Akisama- Whoa, another monstrous review. O.o Thanks for giving me so much attention, though.

You didn't see that moment when Sakuragi told Haruko how much he loved basketball? Wow, you have to find some way to check that out… it was an absolutely genius way of showing Sakuragi's maturity. Damn Inoue for being so smart. ; )

Haha, my story started slow? I didn't know that, but I admit that the first few chapters were sort of tentatively written because I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. Plus, this is my first fan fiction, so I was sort of nervous about screwing up. Great to see that it spurned interest instead of detracting it, though. Thanks for all your kind words, and although I'm unsure if my story is a great piece of literature or a true sequel to Slam Dunk, I'd like to hope that this story will tide over Slam Dunk fans for a while.

Takeshi is definitely completely different from Maki in that he's much more offense oriented and sort of a one-man team. Nice to see that readers are catching on to that.Again, thanks for giving me a thoughtful review. I appreciate it, and it isn't a burden at all.

Migo- Thanks for the compliments man. And you don't need to thank me for the link. Is it working okay?

Shadowcleaner- I see what you mean. The basketball scene might be a bit too long for some, so I'll try to balance dialogue and character interaction more in with the basketball. The last chapter was my fault, because I was trying to squeeze in too many things and events while they were fresh in my mind.

Thanks for reviewing, and I'll try to spread the chapters out more evenly.

Mitra1- Oh, the players have improved. I'm definitely going to show that sometime soon. : ) But still, Shohoku is not the same Shohoku as it was when Akagi is around, and so it's obvious they'll be weaker in some areas.

I sort of dropped a few subtle hints of Hiroshi and Rukawa being in a sort of student-teacher like thing, the same way Mitsui mentors Sakuragi now that Akagi is gone. Still, it's okay if people didn't catch that, since it was in the beginning when Rukawa sort of let Hiroshi deal with problems on his own during the scrimmages and Hiroshi would often ask Rukawa basketball-related questions, like in the Kainan-Ryonan game.

As for a high-five… um, it's hard to explain. If any of my reviewers would like to help me explain it, feel free. O.o

Laziness Incarnate- Oh, it wasn't flattery. Just truth.

And yes, I'll continue to believe your basketball knowledge is much more than you give yourself credit for. Don't be so hard on yourself. : )

Haha, I absolutely loved the way you summed up Sakuragi and Rukawa's relationship. And I haven't read the Slam Dunk manga more than five times or so, but I just remember a lot of things that happened. Thanks for your compliments; it's flattering. Also, your observations about the game are really well done, so good job.

Um… sure, Shohoku will make it into the IH tournaments. Right? O.o We'll see.

P.S.: Yep, hurray for Douglas Adams!

-------

Chapter 26- Decision 

"Good, Kiyota!"

Jin bumped fists with the athletic guard as they raced back downcourt. Kainan had suddenly gone off on an 8-0 run, with Takeshi making two jumpers, Masami a hook shot, and Kiyota just having thrown down a tomahawk dunk after evading Yasuda. On the other hand, Miyagi had missed a shot, and Kakuta had also missed a shot on their trips down the floor. It was now 33-18, with 8:59 left.

Miyagi was beginning to panic a bit, but didn't show it. _What the hell is wrong with us?_

Sendoh sighed from the stands. "Shohoku isn't playing well…"  
  
Fujima nodded. "Mm. Not only is their offense doing poorly, but also their defense seems to have suddenly taken a massive hit. I wonder what happened…"

Sakuragi looked up at Miyagi as he dribbled the ball upcourt. Miyagi took one look into Sakuragi's eyes and frowned.

_He doesn't look focused…_ Miyagi thought. Miyagi knew that Kainan's run was potentially a game-ending one, and Shohoku had to get some points.

_Right… I'll give it a go this time!_ Miyagi dribbled the ball once slowly before exploding left, shaking Takeshi.

Miyagi suddenly realized that he had drawn a crowd again… except this time, it was three defenders, more than he had wanted. _Damn… I can't make the shot!_

Miyagi saw a flash of red from out of the corner of his eye. _A teammate!_

Miyagi shot a one handed pass straight to the streaking uniform. Rukawa caught the ball and laid it in off the backboard, again stopping a run that was similar to the one a few minutes ago before Rukawa stopped it with his free throws. The scores clicked to 33-20.

Haruko breathed a sigh of relief. "Ah… they finally scored…"

Youhei looked distracted. "Hanamachi… what the heck is going on with him?" The Sakuragi Army gave Youhei a look.

"Yeah… he isn't looking the same…" Noma agreed.

"Not only has his movements slowed, his aggressiveness and rebounding has almost completely disappeared," Youhei commented. "Something is on his mind… and if he can't forget it, he's really going to hurt Shohoku…"

Masami took the offensive rebound from right over Sakuragi, as Takeshi had just missed a shot. The Shohoku bench looked at Sakuragi in surprise as Masami laid the ball right back into the basket.

Sakuragi didn't even scream in rage or resort to his childish antics over missing the rebound. He just went back downcourt without a word, eyes vacant.

Mitsui grew impatient from the bench. "Sakuragi! What's wrong with you?! Start playing seriously!"

Sakuragi looked at Mitsui. _Micchi… I'm sorry… even though you missed the three-pointer… my rebound was for nothing! I gave the ball to that Kainan center instead of Akagi!_

Mitsui withdrew a bit in surprise once he saw Sakuragi's eyes, having seen what Miyagi just saw a few moments ago.

Hiroshi just gave Sakuragi a lingering look, towel draped over his head.

"Come on! We got to get some points here!" Miyagi called. Miyagi passed the ball to Yasuda, then ran off to the right.

Yasuda bounced the ball to Sakuragi in the paint. Masami was guarding him relatively tightly, but Yasuda knew that Sakuragi should be able to get past him with a quick pivot.

Instead, Sakuragi held the ball and didn't even make a move toward the basket. Rukawa saw that Sakuragi wouldn't be shooting and raced over to Sakuragi's side, hands out.

"Hey! Pass!" Rukawa called. Sakuragi gave Rukawa a look.

_Fox… if I pass, I'll probably pass to the wrong person… just like against Kainan…_ Sakuragi thought unhappily.

Jin slapped the ball out of Sakuragi's hands and Kiyota took the loose ball. Rukawa, without giving Sakuragi so much as a glance, raced downcourt to defend the fast break with Miyagi and Yasuda close behind him. Miyagi soon overtook Rukawa as he ran at almost his full speed, blurring down the court.

The audience watched in shock. "That shorty… is unbelievably fast!"

Miyagi caught up to Kiyota and made a swipe at the ball, but caught nothing but air. Kiyota passed the ball off to Takeshi, who was running alongside him.

Miyagi pushed himself to his full speed, now covering the distance between Takeshi and himself in an instant. He again tried to steal the ball, and actually made contact with it this time. However, Takeshi flailed and hurled the ball into the air, again exaggerating his motions.

The referee blew his whistle. "Reach in foul, #4!"

Miyagi looked at the referee. "What?! That was all ball!"

Even Sendoh watched in shock from the stands. "Even I could see that Miyagi made a clean steal…"  
  
Fujima's eyes narrowed. "Shohoku isn't getting a fair match with that Takeshi around…"

Miyagi raised his hand, realizing his arguments fell on deaf ears. Takeshi had an unpleasant grin on his face as he went to inbound the ball. Since he wasn't in the act of shooting and Shohoku wasn't over the foul limit, Takeshi didn't get any free throws.

Miyagi was literally shaking with anger as he went to defend. His eyes were blazing with rage. _That asshole… I will not forgive any of this!_

Mitsui smiled a bit. _Good… Miyagi didn't get himself in any more trouble… now let's hope the anger doesn't cloud his mind and instead fuels his competitive spirit_…

As soon as Takeshi inbounded, Miyagi raced by and stole the ball.

"Nice, Ryota!" Ayako called as Miyagi flew down the court, leaving every player on the floor behind, including the referees. He glided into the air and made the layup, making the scores 35-22.

Miyagi had a hard look on his face as he went to defend. _Takeshi… I'll show you speed…_

Hiroshi suddenly realized Miyagi's intent. "No, captain, don't!"

Miyagi looked at Hiroshi. "What?"  
  
Hiroshi was standing, the towel still over his head. "Save it! If you waste all your energy now, you won't have anything for the second half!"

Mitsui nodded next to Hiroshi, and Miyagi felt his high emotions die down a bit. _They're right… my stamina is pretty good, but if I attacked for both halves…_

Kiyota heaved the ball downcourt to Jin. Jin took one quick dribble and shot the jumper, swishing the ball through the net beautifully before Shohoku's defense had set up.

Miyagi suddenly knew what to do for this half, and he began to formulate a plan for the second half as Yasuda inbounded the ball to him.

_If I can't be the one to attack… then it's up to my teammates!_ Miyagi thought as he dribbled the ball steadily.

Miyagi went into a slow jog before passing the ball off to Rukawa. Rukawa faked before making a motion forward, surprising Jin a bit with his two quick motions. Rukawa then blew past Jin and cut towards the basket, his right arm outstretched. Masami and Kiyota quickly went over to defend.

"Rukawa, you bastard!" Kiyota yelled as he leaped into the air.

Takato continued to fan himself from the sidelines. _Rukawa, you underestimate our team. What a suicidal move…_

Rukawa brought the ball under Kiyota's arm, then switched hands before throwing up a left handed layup. The ball gently touched off the backboard and bounced in. Takato looked at Rukawa in surprise as he landed. 37-24.

Sendoh burst into laughter, and Fujima gave him an odd look. "Learning some of my moves, huh?" Sendoh smiled. _I hope we can play again… but first, you need to beat the new Kainan team!_

Rukawa gave Takato a look. _That fan is an eyesore… _Rukawa thought to himself as he ran back onto defense.

Takato looked at Rukawa questioningly. _What was that look?_

Kiyota dribbled the ball at a fast pace, reflecting the speed that Kainan had been playing at. Miyagi watched Kiyota closely as he defended Takeshi.

_Anzai… Yasuda… you guys are right… if we can slow the pace a bit and bring the morale back over to Shohoku, we can still win!_ Miyagi traced Kiyota's pass and raced forward, stealing the ball before it reached Takeshi.

"Ah, shit!" Kiyota cursed, then watched in wonder as Miyagi suddenly slowed his dribble instead of running the fast break.

Mitsui scratched his head. _Maybe Miyagi shouldn't slow a fast break, but it seems like he's getting the idea…_

Anzai just laughed merrily as the Shohoku offense set up.

Miyagi passed off to Kakuta before running in. Kakuta understood and dropped the ball off as soon as he it touched his hands. Miyagi took the ball and leaped into the air, throwing an overhead pass to Rukawa. Rukawa again blew past Jin and made a reverse layup under Masami and Taro's outstretched arms. 37-26.

"Nice!" Miyagi called to Rukawa, who as usual didn't respond.

"L-O-V-E! Love me, Rukawa!" the Rukawa Brigade cheered from the stands, drawing odd looks from the audience.

"Damnit!" Kiyota bounced the ball hard against the floor. Jin again motioned for him to calm down as Kiyota passed the ball off to him.

Jin handled the ball upcourt before suddenly a hand touched the ball. Jin stopped his dribble and looked up, seeing Yasuda about to steal.

_What?_ Jin thought as the two began wrestling over possession over the ball, with Jin hugging the ball tightly to his body. After a few seconds, the whistle blew.

"Jump ball!" the referee called. Miyagi patted Yasuda on the back.

"Good, good!" Miyagi praised, although he knew it was very unlikely for Yasuda to win the jump. _Yasuda is making some nice hustle plays…_

As expected, Jin won the jump, tapping the ball far off to Masami. Masami threw the ball down to a racing Kiyota, who was unmarked. He leaped into the air and made a normal two-handed dunk that still drew cheers from the crowd.

Yasuda inbounded to Miyagi, who made his way towards the basket at a slow pace.

"All right guys! First, let's just take their lead down to single digits!" Miyagi called, instinctively crossing the ball over when Takeshi tried a steal. Miyagi drove past Takeshi since Takeshi was now slightly off balance and dished the ball right to Rukawa again. Rukawa also tried to drive in towards the basket as Jin backpedaled to try and keep himself between Rukawa and the basket. Rukawa then suddenly put on the brakes, making a long, graceful motion as he dribbled the ball backwards with his right hand and his left arm out to clear some space before he reared up into a fadeaway shot that smoothly swished through. 39-28.

Jin looked at Rukawa in slight awe as Rukawa nonchalantly jogged back. _That move was so explosive… but still so elegant and controlled…_

Kiyota fumed at Rukawa as he also went downcourt. "Think you're so great?! I could pull that move off easily!" Rukawa just ignored him.

Takeshi got the ball and took off downcourt at his full speed… which wasn't enough, since Miyagi stayed close to him without too much trouble. This time, though, Miyagi didn't gloat because he knew that Takeshi was outplaying him.

Takeshi stopped at the three-point arc and quickly heaved up a three-pointer. Hiroshi tracked the ball's arc lazily with his eyes from the benches. _That isn't going to go in… he didn't even set his feet…_

Hiroshi's prediction was right, as the ball glanced off the front rim. Masami jumped into the air and took the rebound while Sakuragi was mowed over, not even using his energy to jump particularly high.

Rukawa's eyes narrowed, but he didn't say a word as the ball flew towards Jin. Jin caught it and in one fluid motion also threw up a three-pointer, even though Rukawa put a hand in Jin's face.

"Don't shoot so many threes!" Takato called from the bench. However, his advice didn't seem too accurate, as Jin's three-pointer once again splashed through the bottom of the net.

Miyagi cursed as the Kainan players began congratulating their captain. _How the hell are we going to catch up if Jin keeps making those threes?_

Mitsui watched uneasily from the bench. _Jin is so accurate now…_

"Hanamachi! Shape up!" Miyagi patted the redhead on the back. "Come on! We have to win!"

"Right Ryo-chin." Sakuragi's words had almost no enthusiasm.

Miyagi sighed as he dribbled back onto offense. _I can't convince him…_

Miyagi dropped the ball into Kakuta. Kakuta tried to spin around Taro, but Taro's larger frame was difficult to maneuver around. Kakuta still forced up a shot that bounced off the rim, and again Masami leaped into the air for the rebound. It reached Masami's hands, but then was suddenly poked into the air.

Masami looked around wonderingly as Rukawa took away Masami's rebound. Sakuragi stared at the cold forward. _Rukawa…?_

Rukawa gripped the rebound firmly as he landed, then went right back into the air, faking the pass to Miyagi in midair before bouncing the ball off the backboard.  42-30.

Rukawa gave Sakuragi a look. "Dou ahou." Rukawa turned and averted his gaze to the other side of the court.

"You want to go to America? You want to be number 1 in Japan? What a joke!"  
  
Sakuragi stared at Rukawa quietly. Miyagi sighed as he went onto defense, knowing that the two would settle whatever was happening even though the game was still going on. _Great… now we have to cover for two on this possession!_

Shohoku's bench watched in surprise as Rukawa scolded Sakuragi, although they couldn't hear the conversation. Rukawa usually didn't talk too much unless it was important.

"You're still thinking about that game last year? We fought over this, and you know that the responsibility isn't yours alone. It's mine. It's _everyone's_. Arrogant fool!" Rukawa scoffed as he went to help defend, although he knew it was too late. "If you can't get over the last game, you won't help win this one. You're still just a newbie."

Sakuragi's mouth opened slightly. Then Sakuragi's previously vacant eyes darkened.

"What did you say, fox? I'll kill you!" Sakuragi raced downcourt in his usual energetic fashion again. "Still a newbie?! I'm going to America before you, you pretentious bastard!"

Just as Sakuragi yelled, Takeshi threw down a thunderous reverse dunk that drew the Kainan crowd to its feet. 44-30.

"What a high scoring half…" Fujima whispered under his breath. Sendoh nodded.

"It's only going to get higher." Sendoh pointed at the clock, which read 5:31.

Still, the Sakuragi Army was grinning. "Whatever Rukawa said, it worked… Sakuragi looks pretty pumped…" Youhei said. Haruko smiled inwardly. _Rukawa-kun…_

Miyagi felt Sakuragi's returning presence and grinned. "Hey, Hanamachi, catch!"  
  
The ball flew towards the center and Sakuragi caught it smoothly this time. However, after a few dribbles, it bounced off his foot and began rolling out.

"Crap!" Miyagi yelled as he raced to save the ball. Another figure also began running towards the ball, and Miyagi turned to see his friend Yasuda jump for the ball. Yasuda caught it and threw it under him before crashing into a table, head first, with a dull thud.

"Yasuda!" Miyagi called in worry as Rukawa took Yasuda's wild pass and also paused, seeing his senpai hurt.

Yasuda stood up shakily. "Don't worry… go!"  
  
Rukawa didn't need to be told twice. With a graceful spin move, he once again eluded Jin, who had tried to sneak up while the Shohoku players were talking amongst each other. Rukawa raced for the basket just as Yasuda started swaying a bit in place—drawing attention from Miyagi, who realized that Yasuda was bleeding from the nose.

"Shit! Timeout!" Miyagi told the referee. At that instant, Rukawa had just missed a fadeaway.

"Damn fox!" Sakuragi insulted, soaring into the air and finally taking an offensive rebound. However, right when he was about to put the ball back in, Takeshi blocked the tall center and sent the ball out of bounds.

The referee obeyed Miyagi's decision. "Shohoku, timeout!"

Miyagi and Kakuta went over to Yasuda. "You okay man?"  
  
Yasuda looked at the two oddly. "I don't know… I feel so dizzy…"

"Come on, let's get to the bench," Miyagi said, guiding the other guard to Ayako. Ayako quickly began interrogating him on his condition while Yasuda took a seat. The other players gathered around Anzai, breathing heavily.

Anzai looked up at them, and Miyagi gave his coach a questioning look. "What now, Sensei? We lost our shooting guard."

Mitsui gritted his teeth. "I'm going back in."

The Shohoku players turned their heads towards the oldest player on the team. "What?"

Mitsui nodded. "If just for this half… I have to do something. Sitting here…" Mitsui clenched his fist. "…Makes me feel so helpless."  
  
Hiroshi swept the towel off his head. "I'm going back in too. Foul trouble or not, Jin and that point guard are getting dangerous. Kainan is gaining momentum while we sit here."  
  
Ayako walked over. "Yasuda has a light concussion. He can still play, but I wouldn't recommend it… it's better if he sits it out."

"That's fine. Mitsui is going in," Miyagi announced. Ayako looked at Mitsui in shock upon hearing Miyagi's words.

"What?! Didn't you hear me in the lockers? You're in no condition to—"

"I know!" Mitsui shouted, hushing Ayako and sending the other players into a deeper silence. Miyagi didn't like seeing Ayako getting yelled at, but he endured it.

Mitsui turned his head towards the court in frustration. "I wasted so much time before, when I was a gangster! I wasted my years as a MVP in middle school! I wasted my _life_!" Mitsui's hands gripped his head. "I can't forget that… but now… this is my last chance! I have to make it right! Shohoku has to enter the IH tournament. Shohoku _has_ to!" Mitsui turned back towards the players, his eyes full of emotion and regret. "When I was sitting here… I knew what Akagi felt." Mitsui's voice lowered to a whisper.

"Watching Shohoku lose is like watching my dreams die."

Silence.

Anzai slowly looked over at Ayako. "Ayako… can Mitsui-kun play?"

Ayako bit her lip. "Yes, but his injury is on the same leg as the one that he had to go to the hospital for. There might be complications if he gets worse."

Mitsui shook his head. "I'll be careful."

Ayako stared at Mitsui for a few seconds, then finally sighed heavily. "Fine."

Anzai nodded slowly. "Then, Hiroshi-kun will also go in." Anzai looked up at his players as he took out his clipboard with the numbered pieces to show his plan.

"…And now, let's show Kainan our might."


	28. Chapter 27

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews: Yun Fei- Haha, thank you for your comments, I'm always flattered to hear them.

Takeshi is more of a flopper, which means someone that pretends he's getting fouled when he really isn't. Taking advantage of the referees, so to speak.

Thank you for reviewing, and your story is coming along great.

Emberlion- Whoa, thanks for a giant review.

Thanks for being honest and saying that you felt the chapter dragged. I'm sorry that I didn't realize that I needed to spread the matches out more, and I will try my best to try and pace the story to everyone's liking.

Wow, it's amusing to see someone still remember Miuradai. I didn't like those guys either, since they were all talk and no skill. O.o

I'm happy to see that people didn't feel that the Rukawa-Sakuragi moment was out of place and was in-character for both of them. I was unsure of how to write it because I wanted Rukawa to be both encouraging and scolding (which he usually is with Sakuragi), so it's nice to see it turn out okay.

Yasuda's performance… I don't know what to say about it. I thought about it for a while, and I just decided to let Yasuda be that guy who hustles for Shohoku and tries to dive for loose balls and stuff, since his skill isn't that great. After all, he's done after this year along with Miyagi and Mitsui, so I thought I'd let him lay it all on the line like Kogure did last year. I'm pleased to see that you enjoyed it.

Yep, I know Sendoh's your favorite, and it's nice to see your story doing well. I'm sure you'll get long reviews in no time!

Migo- Yeah, they still haven't finished the last volume. I'll try to e-mail you or something when they do. And thanks for your comment about the Sakuragi-Rukawa moment.

Shadowcleaner- Great! Good to hear I paced it to your liking. I'll try to continue to write well.

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Chapter 27 – Shootout 

The players hunched over as the white-haired coach quickly laid out a game plan.

"As I'm sure you have all noticed…" Anzai looked up at the Shohoku players. "The Kainan team is very reluctant to pass to Takeshi-kun, their point guard."  
  
Miyagi nodded. _Once the ball reaches Takeshi's hands… it's like it went into a black hole, since he never passes back…_

Anzai moved the #5 piece towards the inbounding area.

"Hiroshi-kun will be guarding the inbounds pass under our basket. We need to limit excessive movement on Mitsui-kun's part, so Mitsui-kun…"  
  
Anzai moved the #14 piece to the top of the key and moved it in a back and forth motion.

"…will play around this area, where he can utilize his jump shot to the fullest. And, if Mitsui-kun is up to it, he can reach the other side of the floor to play defense a bit easier since he will have less distance to cover."

"Furthermore, Sakuragi-kun will be exerting a bit more energy for the remaining part of this half. Although you are our center, it will be necessary for you to run the floor a bit quicker to take as many rebounds as you can on both ends of the court."  
  
Sakuragi grinned, looking much more focused than he was a few minutes ago. "Of course, old man! Leave it to me."

Anzai nodded. "Good. Now, Rukawa-kun will still need to guard Jin-kun very closely, and Miyagi-kun, I want you to switch off to guard Kiyota-kun as much as possible. Rukawa-kun, if Kainan ever begins to guard Mitsui-kun tighter, you will be entrusted with the offense."  
  
Rukawa nodded, but Miyagi scratched his head. "Sensei, switching off on Takeshi? Is that a good idea?"  
  
Anzai looked back up at Shohoku's captain. "No… it isn't. But there is essentially no one guarding Kiyota-kun, and his athleticism and quickness is a problem. We will have to rely on Kainan's reluctance to pass to Takeshi-kun to win."

Mitsui sighed, suddenly realizing that he might be a slight burden to the team. _I'm forcing them to play harder just to accommodate for me. Is that wise?_

Mitsui quickly shook his head slightly. _No… I can't think like that! I have to give it my all!_

The referee's whistle sounded, ending the timeout.

Miyagi laughed. "I just remembered— we're out of timeouts for this half, huh?"_Dr. T: In international play, such as the Olympics, teams are allowed two timeouts in the first half, and three in the second half. The NBA follows different timeout rules._

Mitsui shrugged. "Guess so."

The Kainan bench watched in surprise as Mitsui hobbled over towards the outside of Shohoku's key. Sendoh and Fujima also watched, slightly shocked.

"Mitsui is going back in?" Fujima wondered aloud.

Mitsui gritted his teeth upon each step, obviously still stinging with pain. Ayako watched Mitsui in worry from the benches, apparently regretting her decision to let Mitsui play.

"If Mitsui-kun cannot play, please tell me."  
  
Ayako looked up at the coach, who had abruptly broken into her thoughts. "Ah… right Sensei."

Hiroshi shot a look over his shoulder as he walked under Shohoku's basket to guard the inbounds pass. "You okay over there, senpai?"  
  
Mitsui nodded, trying to look nonchalant although he was already perspiring a bit from just walking around. "Yeah, fine."

Hiroshi looked doubtful but didn't push it any farther and faced Kiyota, who had just gotten the ball from the referee. The referee blew the whistle, and the game resumed again.

Hiroshi tried to look casual as he guarded the pass, but he could feel his nerves on end as he tried to follow the ball in Kiyota's hands. As soon as the ball began moving forward, Hiroshi's instinct took over and his left arm lashed out, knocking the ball to the side.

"What?!" Takato stood from the benches. Miyagi frowned. _Shit, that Kainan coach already seems to see our plan…_

Sakuragi scooped up the loose ball and threw it towards Mitsui. However, Jin rushed past and stole the ball right back, passing the ball off to Takeshi.

"Shit!" Sakuragi cursed unhappily. Still, although he had passed to the wrong person, Sakuragi didn't seem to take it as heavily as before as he raced downcourt to defend.

"It's a 5 on 4…" Sendoh whispered, as Mitsui was too slow to get back onto the defense.

"Stay there!" Miyagi called to Mitsui. "Don't push your ankle!"  
  
Takeshi blew past Miyagi, realizing that Miyagi's concentration was divided. Miyagi turned with dread as Takeshi raced in.

Sakuragi grinned slightly as he followed Takeshi into the air. "Fly swatter!"  
  
Takeshi pump faked in the air once before letting the ball fly, causing Sakuragi to swipe at nothing but air. The ball bounced off the corner of the backboard and went through the net. 46-30.

"Damn!" Sakuragi fumed. Miyagi quickly ran to take the ball out.

"Mitsui!" Miyagi shouted before rearing back and heaving the ball downcourt. As soon as the ball left his hands, Miyagi zoomed towards Shohoku's basket along with the rest of the team.

Miyagi's pass was perfect, as Mitsui caught the ball without needing to jump. However, when Mitsui turned to shoot, the highflying Kiyota instantly rejected him.

"Pathetic!" Kiyota roared as the ball flew behind Mitsui's head. Fortunately, Miyagi was right behind Mitsui to catch the loose ball. Miyagi smoothly shot a sideways pass towards Rukawa, who made the transition lay-up.

Sakuragi burst into laughter. "Haha! Stupid monkey!"

"Shut up," Kiyota muttered as Jin went over to inbound the ball.

Again, Mitsui didn't help Shohoku defend as he stood on the other side of the court, just watching his shorthanded teammates defend against the Kainan players.

_Damnit… why can't I do anything?_ Mitsui thought as Jin passed the ball into Masami. Masami dribbled once and turned to throw up a hook shot.

"Fly swatter, version two!" Sakuragi yelled as he exploded into the air, stretching his arm out. The ends of his fingertips managed to hit the ball and the ball wound up in Hiroshi's hands.

"Captain!" Hiroshi shouted and again threw the ball downcourt as Miyagi and Rukawa raced to the other end. Miyagi caught the ball and without a second thought threw a behind the back pass to Rukawa.

Rukawa ran towards the basket, but out of the corner of his eye saw the athletic Kiyota once again managing to catch up to Shohoku's fast break. Rukawa jumped into the air and flipped the ball behind him to Mitsui.

Mitsui shot flat-footed, opting not to jump. The shot came up short, barely grazing the underside of the basket.

_Damn!_ Mitsui thought. A streak of red whooshed past him, and Sakuragi snagged the rebound right before it fell out of bounds.

"Micchi!" Sakuragi called as he heaved the ball over his head blindly. The ball didn't reach Mitsui, but instead Hiroshi caught it and calmly dropped it back off to Mitsui.

_I have to jump,_ Mitsui thought as he leapt into the air for the three-pointer. Still, his concentration was divided as he worried about his foot, and the shot missed badly, only smacking the end of the backboard and missing the rim completely. This time, Taro managed to get the rebound before Sakuragi could pick himself off the floor. Taro passed the ball off to Jin, who in turn passed to Takeshi.

"Wow, the game is so fast-paced!" the crowd whispered in astonishment. Miyagi caught some of the comments from the audience and berated himself. _Damn, we went right back into Kainan's tempo without even knowing it…_

Takeshi was free from the Shohoku defenders except for Hiroshi as he charged towards the basket. Sakuragi was already trying desperately to catch up, but he was too far away.

"Damnit, someone guard that arrogant bastard!" Sakuragi screamed.

Takeshi went up for a dunk, bending the rim with his weight and the force of the dunk. However, the scores didn't change.

"What?!" Kiyota spun around and saw Hiroshi with the ball, a faint smile on his face.

"He needs to protect that ball when he's going up," Hiroshi commented, easily hurling the ball back over to the Shohoku offense.

Miyagi caught it and dashed towards the basket, faking a pass back out to Mitsui before scoring the lay-up. 46-34.

"Okay, slow it down now!" Miyagi called back to his team. "We're falling into their pace again!"

Rukawa carefully guarded Jin as Jin brought the ball upcourt. Once Jin crossed the half-court line, Rukawa began pressing him tightly.

Jin whirled the ball around, trying to find an opening. Rukawa kept his hands in Jin's face, trying to block off his vision as he defended him extremely closely.

"Good!" Miyagi called towards Rukawa. Even Sendoh nodded with approval.

"Rukawa's defense is better than before… must be from playing against the Eiji guy…"

The shot clock clicked steadily down. Jin finally managed to get rid of the ball, sending it over to Taro. Taro was met with another of Shohoku's defenders—Hiroshi Kazuo.

Hiroshi crouched into defensive position. Taro tried to move in, but Hiroshi's long wingspan was preventing Taro from maneuvering around. Hiroshi almost instinctively guarded Taro lazily, like something in him knew when to play to his full capacity and when to take it easy. Hiroshi already had that slightly bored look in his eyes whenever he faced someone that wasn't a great opponent, which was eerily similar to Sendoh's behavior of holding back his capability until he was faced with a strong player.

Anzai chuckled to himself, watching Hiroshi play. _Hiroshi-kun… I don't think even you know your true potential…_

Taro made a drive in, and Hiroshi instantly was in front of him, daring Taro to go further and risk the charging foul. Taro again seemed overwhelmed by someone guarding him this tightly, and threw the ball out to Kiyota just as the shot clock clicked to zero.

"Shot clock violation! Red ball!" the referee announced. Mitsui clapped from the other side of the court.

"Nice guys!" Mitsui cheered. _Good thing Taro didn't pass it off earlier… it was obvious that Kiyota was wide open because I can't help them guard!_

Takato's fan had stopped moving. "What's wrong with you guys? It's a 5 on 4!"

Miyagi dribbled the ball leisurely. _If we can get within single digits, we'll have done very well for this half…_

Miyagi threw the ball in to Sakuragi. Sakuragi's lean body pressed against Masami's arm. "Watch this! Tensai Jump Shot!"

Sakuragi turned and went straight into the air, and the ball glided off his fingertips. It wasn't a perfect jump shot, but it looked smooth and much cleaner than it did last year. Still, the ball bounced off the front of the rim.

"Damn! Mine!" Sakuragi said in a rush as he leapt into the air, both arms outstretched as he took the ball right over Masami's head.

"Hey! Out here!"  
  
Sakuragi obeyed and swung the ball back towards the voice, and it went straight into Mitsui's hands. Even better, Mitsui was wide open, as Kiyota had opted to help Jin guard Rukawa.

Mitsui went into the air and let fly another three-pointer that again missed badly, overshooting the rim and instead hitting the other side of the backboard. Mitsui landed with a painful grunt as his weight came down on his left ankle. Hiroshi reached over Taro and tapped the rebound back into the air, then jumped into the air and slapped the ball back over to Mitsui.

Mitsui, despite the pain, caught the ball and focused. _Concentrate… you're wide open! Don't worry about the ankle!_

Mitsui leapt again, trying to remember that feeling he always had, trying to let instinct take over and make his body shoot the ball in that flawless form he knew he possessed. The ball soared into the air and clanged off the front rim, looking much better than the past few shots.

Masami pushed Sakuragi down as he boxed out. Sakuragi pressed his body hard against the other center.

_Damn! He knows how to box out!_ Sakuragi tried hard to get into a good position to get the rebound.

_Gori… I couldn't help you win last year…_ Masami bent low, preparing to jump as Sakuragi suddenly felt a rush of emotion.

_…But this year, this Tensai will achieve your dream!_

Sakuragi pressed against Masami's body once more, realizing it was too late to get into good position. Masami jumped for the rebound, and Sakuragi went straight into the air too.

Jin watched in utter shock as Sakuragi, the redheaded center, flew into the air and strain his arm out for the rebound right over Masami's outstretched arms.

Jin drew in an involuntary breath. _Masami is jumping, but Sakuragi…_

Sakuragi caught the ball with his left hand and roared with effort. "MINE!"

The audience gasped. "That redhead took the rebound away from Masami!"

Sakuragi landed, bending low to catch his balance. Sakuragi looked up and threw the ball out.

"Ryota!"  
  
Miyagi caught the ball and drove in, drawing Takeshi and Kiyota over to him. Miyagi then flipped a dangerous pass out to Mitsui, sending the ball right between Sakuragi and Jin.

Mitsui caught the ball, and this time, he felt good. _Damn_ good. Mitsui was feeling something indescribable in him, that feeling he had during the Shoyo and Sannoh matches last year. That moment when Mitsui wasn't really Mitsui anymore, but the Man of Fire, the unstoppable pure shooter that had carried his middle school team and won MVP. A person that never gave up.

Never.

Mitsui calmly let the basketball fly, and it splashed through the bottom of the net with a resounding swish. For a second, the arena was dead silent as the scores clicked to 46-37 before it exploded into pandemonium.

"What?! Shohoku is catching up!"  
  
Fujima felt he knew what was coming. "Mitsui… that guy took us down last year with his three pointers. If Kainan doesn't watch it, Mitsui might single-handedly bring Shohoku back into the game…"

Anzai was already standing from his chair, a very rare sight. _This is it… it begins now!_

Kiyota went to inbound, and Hiroshi smoothly stole the pass away.

"What?!" Kiyota yelped in surprise, seeing Hiroshi's gangly arm pluck the ball out of midair delicately. Hiroshi didn't even look backwards as he flipping the ball behind his back, knowing Mitsui was in the same place as before.

Mitsui caught the ball and instantly shot another perfect three—the shot wasn't rushed, but it was fast, and that flick of the wrist was met with the swish of the net. 46-40.

"Beautiful, Micchi!" Nori cried from the stands, waving his Mitsui flag as the rest of the gang members cheered. Even the Sakuragi Army and Haruko's group were cheering for Mitsui.

Takato gripped the fan tightly in his hand. "Kiyota! Give it off to Jin!"  
  
Kiyota obeyed and faked to Takeshi before passing to Jin, a fast motion that momentarily caught Hiroshi off guard. Jin handled the ball downcourt and shot a three-pointer of his own, again under the pressure of Rukawa's defense. The ball flawlessly swished through the net, bringing Kainan up 49-40.

Sendoh laughed merrily. "I've never seen anything like this…" The rest of the Ryonan basketball team was immersed in the game as well. The crowd was becoming chaotic, seeing the two best three-point shooters in Kanagawa battling it out.

Mitsui gave Jin a faint smile, with sweat pouring down his face. "Good shot."  
  
Jin smiled back. "Same to you."  
  
Miyagi was astounded, seeing the two compliment each other. The two were completely different from Sakuragi and Kiyota, who constantly bickered—rather, the two shooters respected one another, and although there was a slight rivalry, it was hardly malicious.

Rukawa drove towards Shohoku's basket, then threw a pass out to Mitsui after reaching the paint. Mitsui caught the ball and faked, sending Kiyota into the air before taking one painful step to his left and shooting another three-pointer. Mitsui's finger pointed to the sky before the ball even went through the net, knowing that his shot was good. The scores switched to 49-43.

"Guys, a minute and a half left!" Miyagi clapped his hands, feeling himself taken with the excitement of the game. "Let's show these guys what we're made of!"

Jin inbounded to Kiyota, who knew what his captain intended to do and gave the ball right back. However, Hiroshi also knew exactly what was going on and he interrupted the pass, smacking it over to Rukawa.

Rukawa again shot a no-look pass to Mitsui. Mitsui was now on automatic; the pain of his ankle was far in the back of his mind, and he only saw one thing: the ball through the basket.

Takeshi rushed over to stop the shot, but felt himself smash into something hard. Takeshi stumbled back and landed on the floor, looking up to see Sakuragi grinning.

"Oh, did I knock you over?"

Miyagi burst into laughter. _So… Mitsui taught Sakuragi the screen!_  
  
Mitsui shot the wide-open three pointer, thanks to Sakuragi's screen. The shot actually banked off the backboard before going in.

"Haha, everything is going in!" Miyagi continued laughing, amused that the three would actually bank in. 49-46.

Takato was already losing his calm. "They're catching up! Guard Mitsui! GUARD HIM!"

Kiyota threw the ball to Taro who dropped it off to Jin, setting a screen of his own for Jin. Hiroshi tried to fight around the screen, but was a little too late as Jin shot another three-pointer that caught nothing but net. 52-46.

Hiroshi quickly took the ball out and threw a long pass down to Miyagi. Miyagi jumped into the air, faking a shot before dropping the ball off for Rukawa.

Rukawa wordlessly drove in towards the basket before throwing the ball back out to Mitsui again, with Sakuragi lean but tall body serving to shield Mitsui from defenders. Mitsui elevated into the air and shot the ball, but this time it bounced out. Rukawa cleaned up the miss by snagging the rebound with his left hand and dunking the ball hard, taking Shohoku up to 52-48.

Takato snapped his fan in blind anger, breaking it in two. "Damnit! We're losing our lead!"

Jin was the one to inbound this time, but when he tried to pass to Takeshi, Miyagi's lighting quick reflexes stole the ball away.

"Mitsui!" Miyagi bounced the ball right under Masami's legs to Mitsui. Mitsui caught the ball and again continued Shohoku's run with a swish that rang in the ears of Takato, infuriating the Kainan coach further. 52-51.

The clock was already down to 5 seconds. Takeshi cursed under his breath as Kiyota took the ball and heaved it towards Kainan's basket, air balling the half court shot as the clock finally went down to zero. Mitsui was instantly mobbed by his teammates as they congratulated him, with Sakuragi rubbing Mitsui's head like an older brother picking on the younger as the starters laughed in sheer glee, riding high on their emotions.

Half-time began… and miraculously, the lowly Shohoku was almost tied with the legendary Kainan.


	29. Chapter 28

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews: Firstly, since there was some mentioning of the overabundance of steals being made in the game, I'll just address that first so I don't have to give the same answer over and over. If you aren't interesting a long-winded rant, skip ahead.

Ever since the Ryonan and Shohoku game I wrote, in which Hiroshi made a lot of steals right from the inbounding area, I realized that it was unbelievable and wouldn't happen too often in a basketball match. Maybe rarely, but Hiroshi's ability shouldn't be that great, and I agree. I toned it down for the Kainan match, and although Hiroshi is going to be getting plenty of steals, I'll be sure to emphasize his defense more.

I can't say I really agree with some of the complaints this time around, although I understand why they are being made. I went back and reread the previous chapter, and Hiroshi had a modest two steals in six minutes of play, along with a few interruptions of Kainan's passes. That really isn't that much, and considering Kainan doesn't suspect Hiroshi's ability and really are being careless with the ball (as you readers might have noticed, they aren't really using a lot of teamwork, except for Kiyota and Jin), Hiroshi isn't as overpowered as before. I'll try to keep steals under control, but just because in one chapter there are quite a bit of steals, you have to remember that in actual basketball matches it's the same thing—just as there are moments when teams will get hot from the three-point arc, alley-oop matches, etc. etc. It doesn't mean it's going to keep up for the whole match (or in some cases, it might). Guys that specialize in defense and steals (I remember in the 2002-2003 season when Allen Iverson racked up three steals in only a matter of minutes against Washington), and even guys that don't (in the 2003-2004 season, Dirk Nowitzki got a career-high nine steals against the turnover-prone Houston) can have a great defensive game, depending on the team they're playing.

I'm trying my best to make this story as realistic as possible, and I'm trying to follow NBA and international basketball rules in the game. At the same time, there has to be moments of entertainment and drama like Inoue did with his games (I can't just say jumper-dribble-jumper for the whole match), and there has to be lifelike moments when the SD characters miss their shots or get in foul trouble. Some things may be slightly unbelievable or would only happen on rare occasion, but keep in mind… when you boil down to it, this is just a fan fiction based off an anime. I think Inoue made mistakes in his basketball scenes, and likewise, I probably will too. Please just try to bear with me, and I really thank people for pointing out mistakes I make, because sometimes I _do_ make them, and I won't try to act like I don't. Although I might sound slightly irritated in this rant, it isn't any of your faults, but rather mine for not making it clear in the first place what I intended to do. Thanks a lot, and please continue to criticize my story as much as possible.

Mitra1- Hey, nice to see you again. I'm pleased that you enjoyed Mitsui's three-point festival, and I'm flattered that you think the story is expressive and clear enough to be understood, since sometimes I struggle over the basketball scenes. Thanks a lot for the review!

By the way, I'm sorry I didn't explain a high-five yet, since I was sort of hoping someone could explain it. I'll try to give a basic idea—it's when people slap their hands with another, and it's usually like a form of expressing congratulations or a greeting. If anyone can elaborate on it a bit more for Mitra1, feel free.

Mak- Thanks for the note about the scores. I changed it as soon as I read your review, and it was my fault for not catching it.

I wanted to stretch the Jin-Mitsui shootout a bit more, and I'm a bit sorry I didn't because after this match, the two will never be able to have another shootout… but I'm glad to see you enjoyed the tiny bit of a three-point duel they had.

Thanks for continuing to read my story.

Migo- Thanks for the review man. I'll try my best. By the way, the scanlations group is almost finished with the last volume of Slam Dunk, so I'll be sure to mention it to you when they do indeed upload it.

Emberlion- CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ARE MY 100ST REVIEW! Party time, people! I'm sorry I can't offer you any prizes, but thanks for reviewing so diligently for so long!

I'm glad that the story seemed realistic. Mitsui's pain when he first entered the game was based off that moment when Akagi struggled against Ryonan in the original Slam Dunk manga—when he was worrying too much about his ankle to release his full capability. I wanted Mitsui to feel doubt before he regained his confidence and shot the lights out. : )

Hiroshi? A stork? Haha, what an image. o.O

Yeah, I'm sorry I haven't been developing Sakuragi more, since I'm struggling with trying to balance out the development… but rest assured, Sakuragi's personality and relationships with the others will be developed whenever I get the chance.

Thanks for your comments, and your fic. is going great!

Laziness Incarnate- Sure, I don't detect any bias. o.O Haha, thanks for reviewing.

Shadowcleaner- I think I mentioned it before, but I'll be writing until Shohoku loses. When that happens is anyone's guess.

Oh dear, I'm flattered that you're adding me to your favorites… but thank you, and I'll try to write in a way that satisfies you, along with all my other readers.

Demi-writer- Hi there! Thanks for your review. Always nice to see new fans.

Hellsing- Wow, another Takeshi-hater! Good to see that Takeshi is developing enemies outside of the story too. ; )

I'll try to let the second half be exciting, and settle the point guard duel once and for all. Thank you for reviewing. And out of curiosity, are you a Hellsing fan? : )

-------

Chapter 28 – Stay Close 

"Damnit!"

Takeshi kicked a chair as soon as the Kainan players went in to discuss their plans for the second half, crashing it into the wall. Jin quietly walked over to the overturned chair and flipped it back over, ignoring Takeshi's tantrum.

Kiyota had taken off his headband and now his wild hair was hanging loose, really making him look like some sort of monkey. Taro and Masami took a seat in the corner, and the rest of the Kainan players trickled in, clearly disappointed.

Takato went over to a bag and pulled out a new fan to replace the one he had broken out due to his rage. Takato also didn't reprimand Takeshi for kicking over the chair, but clearly wasn't pleased with his point guard's childish behavior.

"What happened?"  
  
Takato asked his players a simple question, and let them mull over it. There wasn't a quick response, so Jin finally sighed an answer.

"Everything."

Jin wiped the towel over his boyish face. "Mitsui is really good… he completely took us out of our rhythm and gave Shohoku a huge run."  
  
Takato nodded. "Yes, that's true. Also, you all played very poor defense. I need you all to be less selfish with the ball and don't make predictable passes. You must stop turning the ball over. That rookie that Shohoku has may be a good defensive player, but some things are preventable. Without Akagi, Shohoku shouldn't even be a problem for you guys."

The locker fell silent upon these words, as some didn't even know who Akagi was. Kiyota and Jin peeked at Takeshi out of the corner of their eyes, hoping to see Takeshi react when their coach advised them to share the ball more. Takeshi, though, didn't seem to have listened and was still fuming over getting knocked down by Sakuragi and letting Shohoku catch up.

Takato looked at a stats sheet. "Mitsui probably won't be playing the next half, but he's done his damage. He made 7 out of 15 shots, and had a rebound and an assist. He made 5 out of 11 three pointers, which means in total he made 19 points, 15 of which came in the final couple minutes of the last half!"

Takato gave his players a look. "Mitsui was injured too. There is no excuse; he should have been guarded very tightly. Instead, you guys let Mitsui give Shohoku hope, and let him single-handedly run our lead down to one!"

Taro opened his mouth. "But, Sensei, #14 clearly was—"

Kiyota poked the power forward. "Don't argue with the coach, no excuses get through with that guy."

Takato frowned, but fortunately, didn't hear Kiyota's words. "What are you two rambling about?"

"Ah, nothing!" Kiyota waved his hands, trying to look innocent.

Takato gave Kiyota a hard look, but continued talking. "Feel fortunate that Mitsui is out for the next half. Now is the time for us to win and enter the IH matches."  
  
Takato pointed outside. "Do you hear the fans? Do you see those banners up there? Kainan made it to the IH matches 17 years in a row, and those fans want to see us enter it again. We have had a tradition of winning, and none of you must forget that!"  
  
Another awkward silence descended in the lockers.

"For the next half, I want Rukawa marked heavily. He will be the primary offensive weapon for Shohoku, I'm sure. Double-team him whenever possible, triple-team him if he gets too explosive. Also, you all must rebound more. Don't let Sakuragi run wild. I want to see you guys run the floor and wear down that Shohoku team."

"Right, Sensei," Jin said quietly. The other players also nodded, and a heavy silence fell.

-------

Mitsui looked at his teammates, slightly moved. "You guys…"  
  
All of the starters had big grins on their faces, with the exception of Rukawa. Each had written, with Ayako's pen, "Mitsui Hisashi, #14" on their bodies. Miyagi had written it right down his left leg, Hiroshi had it trailing down his right arm, Rukawa (after some convincing from Miyagi) had the phrase written just above the arm band he wore on his left arm, and the showy Sakuragi had it on the right side of his face.

"Hey man, this way even though you'll be on the bench, you'll still be with us on the court," Miyagi explained. "Besides, we're hoping some of your shooting touch rubs off on us."

Mitsui tilted his head away from his teammates, trying to avoid eye contact.

No… they weren't just his teammates.

It wasn't like the days when he was a gangster, where it was fear that brought respect between the other members. And it wasn't just because he was the senior of the basketball team. They were his friends— people that truly cared about him. They didn't look at him in fear, they didn't look at him as just that middle school student who used to be MVP… the other guys looked at Mitsui as just Mitsui, their friend.

"Shut up," Mitsui choked, finding he couldn't say anything else. Mitsui's pride wouldn't let him say anything else.

Miyagi just smiled tolerantly, knowing that he, along with the other members, understood that Mitsui was happy.

"Right, we got a game plan?" Miyagi turned to his coach. Anzai rubbed his chin.

"Kuwata-kun will be going in for Mitsui-kun. I want Yasuda-kun to rest."  
  
Yasuda nodded, cotton in his nostrils to stop the nosebleed. Toki Kuwata, now a second year, was an average shooter and had no real specialties: however, Kuwata was relatively fast (quicker than Yasuda), and was always willing to help the team, whether it be cheering or actually playing.

_Probably a right choice,_ Miyagi thought. _Kakuta is another key reserve, but he's far too slow to guard Kiyota, and even if we switch defensive assignments, Kakuta would have trouble. Still Kuwata doesn't have much in-game experience…_

"How about telling Ryo-chin to give me the ball more? Hm?" Sakuragi slapped his coach's chin playfully, and was quickly met with a slap on the head by Ayako's fan.

Hiroshi and Rukawa stood off to the side, not really interacting as the Shohoku locker room became cheerful again. Sakuragi continued to argue with Anzai while Miyagi went over to Yasuda to talk about his condition. Ayako was interrogating Mitsui about his health, and the other benchwarmers were trying to encourage Kuwata to have a good match in the next half. The atmosphere of the Shohoku lockers was bright, and although they seemed to know of the importance of the match and the next half, everyone seemed as if they were just trying to enjoy the moment that was happening now instead of worrying.

Hiroshi's face finally broke into a shy, modest smile. "Looks like they're having fun."

"Hn." Rukawa watched his teammates quietly.

Anzai had finally been freed from Sakuragi, as Mitsui had pulled him away after Ayako had stopped asking him questions. Anzai stood motionless, and the other members got the message and quieted down their conversations.

"In Mitsui's absence, once again, it will be your jobs to take up the offensive load," Anzai said. "We need to try and continue our momentum from the last half and take the lead, then pull away from Kainan. As all of you have noticed, Jin-kun has been shooting exceptionally well. Rukawa-kun, do you need help?"  
  
Rukawa firmly shook his head. "No, Sensei."  
  
Anzai nodded. "Good. Then, we will need to control the other players." A pause.

"The point guards of the teams will determine the match in the next half. As the leaders of the offense, it is necessary for Miyagi-kun to control the offensive tempo to our team's liking. Give the team what it is missing, and make everything run smoothly." Anzai patted Miyagi's shoulder. Miyagi nodded upon hearing Anzai's instructions, hands on his hips.

"Okay."

"And what about me, old man?!" Sakuragi protested. Anzai looked at the redhead.

"Sakuragi-kun, trust Miyagi-kun to give you the ball when it is appropriate. He is our point guard, after all."

"Don't worry about it, Sakuragi," Miyagi assured the grumbling center. "I'll try and do what's best for the team."  
  
Mitsui smiled inwardly upon hearing these words_. Let's hope you can, Miyagi… Shohoku depends on it…_

"Hiroshi-kun, how do you feel?"  
  
Hiroshi started upon hearing Anzai suddenly asking him a question, but gave the coach a smile. "I feel really good. It must be because I took an early break."

"Can you play all of the next half?"

"I'll try my best, Sensei."

Anzai adjusted his glasses. "I am very pleased to hear that. In that case, do not drift around that #15 too much. Try and disrupt Kainan's offense as much as possible."

"Right, Sensei."

"When you can, switch off to guard Kiyota-kun. He needs to be marked tightly."

Hiroshi nodded, and Anzai laughed.

"Ho ho ho, it seems as if everything is ready, then."

Ayako checked her watch. "We still have about a minute before halftime is over."

"Well, let's go out there early," Miyagi suggested, already walking out. _Takeshi… let's see who can lead their team to victory…_

"Speaking of which, shouldn't Kuwata also get Mitsui's name written down?" Sakuragi suggested. Mitsui laughed.

"Damnit, stop it guys!"

"No no, it has to be done!" Sakuragi smiled, taking Ayako's pen and scribbling Mitsui's name and number on the back of Kuwata's hand before he could offer a protest.

"All right," Sakuragi placed the cap back on the pen. "Let's go!"

-------

"That was a tight half," Fujima said, leaning back in his seat. Sendoh was relaxing, with his hands behind his head.

"Right."

Takuma, the humungous Ryonan center, overheard the two. "Shohoku probably wouldn't even be this close without that guy who keeps making three-pointers."

"I agree," Fujima replied casually, even though he didn't really know Takuma. "Mitsui was the one that took Shoyo down last year, and it looks like he kept Shohoku in the running for the final seat this year."

Meanwhile, the Sakuragi Army and Haruko were chatting excitedly with one another.

"This is great! Mitsui-kun sure is great!" Haruko was clapping her hands together in joy.

Youhei smiled. "Yeah, this isn't the first time he's pulled off those strings of miraculous three-pointers…"

_Still… Mitsui's great performance is only part of Shohoku's potential,_ Youhei thought. _That Sannoh game… that was when everyone played to the fullest… I don't know if we'll ever see something that amazing ever again…_

"Miraculous?" Nori looked at the group threateningly, the Mitsui flag still in hand. "Mitsui Hisashi, the Man of Fire, uses _skill_, not miracles or luck, to make those beautiful shots!"

The Sakuragi Army sweatdropped. "Right Nori, right."

Noma stroked his moustache. "Hanamachi looks like he's doing a bit better, too."

"Yeah," Ookusu agreed. "Hanamachi looked a bit lost out there for a few minutes."

Haruko smiled inwardly, thinking that it was Rukawa who helped Sakuragi regain his ability. _Rukawa-kun…_ Haruko thought longingly.

"Here they come again," Takamiya pointed, and the group turned to see the Shohoku team jog back out.

"Hey, Shohoku! Get ready to lose!" The Kainan crowd was already becoming unruly.

_Or maybe… deep inside, they're nervous,_ Youhei mused.

Sakuragi gave a group in the audience a dirty look, and they immediately shut up under Sakuragi's threatening glare.

"Looks like you still have that gangster aura in you," Miyagi joked, poking Sakuragi in the shoulder.

Sakuragi gave Miyagi a grin. "Hey, Ryo-chin, I expect to see some of that trouble-making skill you got today too."

Miyagi returned the redhead's grin. "Oh, count on it."

Rukawa and Hiroshi simply ignored the audience's boos, while Kuwata looked slightly shocked that he was actually taking the floor on such a critical game.

The Kainan team was already on the court, waiting for the Shohoku team.

_Wow, they must have gotten out earlier than us…_ Miyagi thought. Sakuragi and the rest of the Shohoku members were met with odd looks from the Kainan team, seeing Mitsui's name written on their bodies.

Rukawa sighed. _I knew I shouldn't have done this…_

Mitsui unhappily took a seat on the bench, knowing he wouldn't play the next half. Ayako, however, looked worried.

"Mitsui-senpai, without you, do you think Shohoku has enough of an offense to help them win?"

Mitsui gave Ayako an odd look, then burst into bitter laughter. "Haha!"  
  
Ayako turned her head towards her senior. "What's so funny?"

Mitsui finally quieted, and grinned. "Ayako, you've seen these guys in practice. Don't underestimate their three-point shooting ability."

Sakuragi and Masami went to the center to jump ball for the second, and final, half of the game. As soon as the referee tossed the ball into the air, Sakuragi once again stole the jump and smacked the ball out. It slammed Takeshi in the chest before bouncing over to Miyagi.

"Oops, that was an accident!" Sakuragi smiled apologetically at Takeshi, who was doubled over and gasping for breath as the other players ran downcourt.

Miyagi threw the ball right over to Kuwata, who fumbled the ball a bit due to nervousness.

"Calm down, Kuwata!" Miyagi called.

"Go, Kuwata!" Shohoku's benchwarmers called as Kuwata faced Kiyota. Kiyota made a swipe at the ball, and Kuwata held the ball over his head to prevent Kiyota from reaching in. Kuwata then threw a pass to Rukawa, who was posting up on Jin.

Rukawa caught the ball, and used his body to feel Jin's presence behind him. Rukawa then spun around and shot a fadeaway that bounced off the backboard, but didn't go through the net.

"Crap! Rebound!" Miyagi called.

"I'm on it!" Hiroshi ran in, reaching out with his long arms. However, Masami got to the ball first, boxing out Sakuragi.

"Damn!" Sakuragi swore as Masami passed the ball off to Kiyota. Miyagi and Kuwata raced down onto defense first, trying to stop the fast break.

Kiyota ran in, then swung the ball back out to Jin. Jin caught the ball, but Rukawa was kneeling in defensive position and making sure Jin didn't get the open shot. Jin faked slightly, then drove to his right while Rukawa kept in front of him.

"Jin can't win this one," Fujima noted, as Sendoh watched the game with interest from his seat, still slightly slouched. "Jin isn't fast or explosive like Rukawa, so he's going to have to depend on his shooting rather than his athletic ability."

Jin stopped his dribble and pulled up for the jumper. Rukawa kept up his intense defense, following Jin into the air while keeping his right hand in Jin's face. Jin's shot bounced off the back rim, and Sakuragi was there to snag the rebound.

"Good defense, Rukawa!" Mitsui clapped from the bench. Sakuragi passed the ball to Miyagi, who waited for Sakuragi to run back to the other side of the floor before following the Shohoku offense, slowing down the pace of the game a bit.

Anzai nodded appreciatively from the sidelines as Miyagi met the now recovered Takeshi outside the three-point line.

"What's that crap on your leg?" Takeshi asked threateningly.

Miyagi tried to calm his temper, and instead plastered a smile on his face. "It's nothing… just teamwork."  
  
Miyagi stopped his dribble and spun in place while lobbing the ball straight into the air, his eyes staring at the floor. Sakuragi soared right over Masami and grabbed the pass, dunking the alley-oop right over Masami and Taro with a roar that roused the Sakuragi Army to their feet as they cheered for their leader.

Miyagi jogged back downcourt, the fake smile now turning genuine as he felt his competitive spirit rising. "…And trust me, Shohoku is going to show you guys some real basketball!"


	30. Chapter 29

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews: KobeJordan- Hi there. Thanks for reviewing. I'll try my best to meet expectations. As for the things about the characters, we'll see. ;)

Demi-Writer- Yeah, Miyagi is starting to fit in the leadership role a bit more. Thanks for reviewing!

Emberlion- Haha, I take it you don't like Rukawa a lot?

Hiroshi isn't acting too much like Rukawa, because Hiroshi is a different type of guy than Rukawa. While Rukawa is anti-social by choice, Hiroshi is merely a shy guy, even around his teammates. That's just the way he is, but I can see why he would draw comparisons to Rukawa's personality, especially since the two are getting along pretty well. I'll try to flesh out the characters more in the future.

Haruko doesn't show up because it's a hassle to get from the stands down to the lockers, then go back up to her seat. ;) That's why she doesn't always show up to see the team during halftime or whatever even before she was manageress, and Haruko only pays them a visit during something big, like when Sakuragi's back was injured against Sannoh or something like that. Thanks for noting all this, though.

Thank you for still reviewing for me, I really appreciate you taking the time to do it for so long. And just reviewing for your story doesn't enough for all of the help you've given me... -.-

Mak- Oh, no. It's my fault for taking it so personally, and in truth, as I said, I agree with you. Hiroshi was overpowered for a stretch of time, so I'll try to tone it down more. You weren't wrong at all, my friend.

Thanks for reviewing, man. 

Shadowcleaner- Haha, don't worry about me answering the same question again. It's not a bother at all.

The thing about writing Mitsui's name and number on their bodies was rather spontaneous, but I agree with you... it's something that Shohoku would do.

Thanks for the compliments and the review.

Adjustement- Hey there! Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad everything is fitting together well. I'll try to continue to write well.

Mitra1- Haha, sorry I couldn't explain the high five well enough... but I'm glad to see you get the idea.

Of course it looks odd, and it's not an American tradition... I just did that to show how close the Shohoku team is becoming.

Yeah, Haruko still has that crush on Rukawa. -.- Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

**Chapter 29 – Point Guard **

"I hope I'm not too late..."  
  
A pretty, but flustered woman hurried down the quiet halls of Kainan University, her high heels clicking on the floor as she picked up her pace. A bag hung from her left shoulder and a clipboard was held protectively to her chest in her right hand as the woman turned a corner, heading towards the Kainan gym.

Aida Yayoi, a female reporter and older sister of the enthusiastic Aida Hikoichi, hurried towards the Shohoku and Kainan match. Unhappy that she had missed the Ryonan and Shohoku game, she had shown up for the Ryonan and Kainan game only to see the final minute of the second half during Ryonan's victory.

"I won't be late again," Yayoi whispered to herself. Her former assistant, Nakamura, had been transferred after the Sannoh matches last year, and although she now no longer had a partner who was almost completely clueless in basketball, Yayoi had to do interviews and such on her own. Yayoi was still attractive, but her social life was on hold as she once again prepared for the summer IH matches.

_I'm glad for my brother, though... _Yayoi smiled. She was glad to see Ryonan make the IH matches this year, and for her younger brother to finally taste the excitement of the IH matches as a player; something that neither Hikoichi nor herself had experienced. Although she was a basketball fanatic, she didn't play the game much herself in her younger days and now that she was a full-time sports reporter, she really didn't have time to play the game she loved so dearly even if she wanted to.

A lone figure stood outside the gym, deeply tanned and quite tall. Yayoi squinted her eyes to try and get a better look at who it was, and did a double-take as the figure entered the gym.

_Was that... Maki?!_

Yayoi quickly raced towards the gym, but tripped slightly before catching her balance, cursing her high heels. "Wait! Wait!"  
  
Yayoi burst into the gym, and whirled her head around. No one there.

She sighed, and continued walking down the pathway to the basketball courts. As soon as she entered, Yayoi was struck by the silence of the audience. She looked up at the scoreboard. 64-55, Kainan's lead, 14:59 remaining.

_That's to be expected... Shohoku hasn't been playing well this year, and I'm surprised they are even in the running for that final seat to the IH matches,_ Yayoi thought. _Still... why is it so quiet?_

* * *

"Damn! Come on, just get one shot in!"  
  
Miyagi was growing frustrated as he brought the ball upcourt. Shohoku's early alley-oop play with Sakuragi was followed by a jumper by Rukawa. But then, Shohoku's offense shut down. Completely. Rukawa had missed on three straight shots (Kainan had begun triple-teaming Rukawa after he made his first jumper of the half) while Sakuragi had air-balled two close jumpers (all off rebounds) and turned the ball over twice. Kuwata had missed a shot, and Miyagi and Hiroshi hadn't even tried. Meanwhile, Jin had started a Kainan run, draining one out of three three-pointers before Kiyota had made six straight points off various cuts and slashes to the basket, beating Kuwata off the dribble. Takeshi had just made a small jumper over Sakuragi after missing a previous shot and was consequently fouled by the redhead, completing the three-point play and giving Kainan the lead.

_Rukawa is being triple teamed, but when I pass to the open players, we can't make the shots!_ Miyagi thought in frustration. Rukawa was being marked by the lengthy Jin, athletic Kiyota, and the strongly built Taro. Meanwhile, Takeshi had kept his defense up on Miyagi while Masami guarded Hiroshi, leaving Sakuragi open. Yet, whenever Miyagi passed to Sakuragi, Sakuragi had been too hasty with the ball and caused turnovers.

_Without Mitsui, we really have lost an offensive threat,_ Miyagi thought bitterly, bringing the ball over his head as Takeshi made a swipe at it. _Rukawa is good, but being triple-teamed makes it hard for me to even get the ball to him!_

Hiroshi faked one direction, then ran off towards Miyagi after shaking Masami. "Captain!"

Miyagi threw the ball right to Hiroshi. Hiroshi caught the ball and exploded forward... unfortunately running right into Masami. Masami stumbled backwards and landed on his back.

The whistle instantly blew. "Charging, red #5!"

Hiroshi looked up at the referee unhappily, but didn't complain as he tossed the ball over to the referee before helping Masami up. Miyagi frowned._ Even Hiroshi is starting to get desperate..._

Mitsui hung his head at the benches, not looking at his teammates nor the coach. Ayako watched the game unhappily. _I thought that we were better than this... and that was Hiroshi's third foul..._

Takeshi passed the ball to Taro, and motioned for the ball back again. Miyagi bit back a groan. _Damnit, not this again..._

Takeshi brought the ball low while Miyagi watched Takeshi closely. Miyagi had tried to thwart the first step, but to no avail. Miyagi had first tried backing off, keeping a distant between Takeshi and Miyagi so even if Takeshi used the first step, he couldn't get past Miyagi. However, Takeshi had shot right over Miyagi before racing in, taking the rebound and making the shot, along with getting the foul from Sakuragi. This all had happened last possession, and Miyagi was afraid of letting it happen again.

Takeshi burst past Miyagi in an explosion of speed, and Miyagi almost tripped trying to stay in front of Takeshi... before realizing that Takeshi was already behind him, gliding in for the layup. 66-54.

Miyagi didn't feel any anger this time around because depression was starting to set in. _Why? Why are we losing again? All of Mitsui's three-pointers are going to waste..._

Kuwata inbounded to Miyagi, who slowly took the ball upcourt. _Our offense is down, but I can't figure out what to—_

"The point guards of the teams will determine the match in the next half... Give the team what it is missing, and make everything run smoothly."

Miyagi's eyes widened, thinking back to Anzai's words. _Give the team what it's missing..._

Miyagi looked up at the basket. Almost unconsciously, Miyagi changed his dribble speed slightly, and moved the ball more in front of him instead of protecting it.

Takeshi again made a swipe at the ball, except this time Miyagi instantly brought the ball up and threw the ball to Sakuragi before dashing in. "Hanamachi!"  
  
Sakuragi watched Miyagi race in, and got the message. "Here, Ryo-chin!"  
  
Sakuragi threw the ball back to Miyagi, who caught the ball and made two quick steps towards the basket before putting in a graceful finger roll. 

"All right! We got one in!" The Shohoku bench cheered as the scores switched to 66-57.

Miyagi's eyes were lit. _I see it now... the middle is unprotected, because they're trying to guard Rukawa!_

Haruko heaved a sigh of relief from the stands. "Finally... we got one in..."  
  
Youhei also looked relieved. "Yeah, things weren't looking good there..."

Jin passed to Takeshi, who shot a three-pointer that bounced high off the back rim. Sakuragi pushed Masami down as he jumped into the air, outreaching Taro as he took the defensive rebound. Sakuragi scanned the floor, and saw Miyagi speeding down the floor, a step ahead of the Kainan defenders.

"Ryo-chin!" Sakuragi called, rearing back and heaving the ball forward. The ball overshot Miyagi, but Miyagi managed to catch up to the ball and quickly lay it in, completing the fast break. 66-59.

Anzai smiled from the benches. _You see it now, right Miyagi-kun? Although Shohoku shouldn't play at Kainan's high tempo, you don't have to compromise your own speed!_

Miyagi pointed towards Sakuragi as he went downcourt, acknowledging his pass. Sakuragi simply grinned.

"Don't let them catch up!" Jin warned as he inbounded to Kiyota. "We can win it if we're careful!"

"I know!" Kiyota said. "I won't lose to that freakin' redheaded monkey!"

"Who are you calling a monkey?!"  
  
Kiyota looked up in surprise, shocked by Sakuragi's good hearing. Kiyota quickly recovered, though. "You, you idiot!"  
  
Sakuragi growled. "You damn monkey, I'll show you who is the best player in this match!"

Kiyota held left hand up in a false praying motion, his right hand handling the ball. "Oh dear, please don't hurt me! Why, I would be so scared if you air-balled another jumper and hit me on the head!"  
  
Sakuragi gritted his teeth. "Monkey, watch yourself!"  
  
Kiyota smiled. "Same to you!"  
  
Kiyota raced in, jumping straight towards Sakuragi after breezing past Kuwata. "...Because I'm going to make a fool out of you!"  
  
Sakuragi followed Kiyota into the air. "Fly swatter!"

Sakuragi swiped at air as Kiyota brought the ball in towards his body, turning in the air and sending the ball towards the backboard. Another hand reached out and smacked the ball against the backboard before it could bank in, sending the ball back out to the three-point line.

Kiyota looked at Hiroshi in surprise, realizing that Hiroshi had blocked his layup attempt. "Damn, you again?!"  
  
Sakuragi landed, then placed a hand on Hiroshi's head. "Of course! We planned that!"  
  
Hiroshi grinned tolerantly. 

"Idiots, defend," Rukawa ordered the two quietly as Takeshi, who had taken the loose ball, got past Miyagi again and raced in for the shot. Rukawa was forced to switch off Jin to guard Takeshi, as Takeshi quickly stopped his dribble once he saw Rukawa stepping up to guard him. Rukawa saw that Takeshi had nowhere to go.

_A chance!_ Rukawa thought to himself as Takeshi prepared to go up for a shot. Rukawa simply knocked the ball right out of Takeshi's hands and took away the loose ball. Rukawa looked up the court and passed to Kuwata, but realized his mistake as Jin stepped between the pass and knocked it away.

Sakuragi ran straight for the ball. "Move!"

The ball bounced once, then began falling towards the out-of-bounds line. Sakuragi dived, one arm outstretched and the other floating to his side, preparing for the imminent crash. Sakuragi took the ball in one hand and hooked it towards Shohoku's basket before slamming straight into a cluster of chairs and stunned reporters; among them Yayoi, who had just sat down only to be interrupted by a hustling redhead.

The ball flew into the air as Sakuragi quickly pushed himself back up, acting oblivious to the fall he had just taken. Kuwata caught the loose ball before passing right off to Miyagi. Miyagi quickly makes a blistering fast crossover around Taro before making a right-handed scoop shot over Masami.

"Ryota! Great!" Ayako was now on her feet, no longer so upset. Mitsui watched from the sidelines as Miyagi went downcourt, trying to look nonchalant even though he was proud of Ayako's comments.

Takeshi smiled to himself. _So that shorty is starting to act selfish too, huh? _

Fujima and Sendoh were watching in great interest from the stands. Fujima was very impressed.

"Miyagi is finally becoming an offensive threat," Fujima noted appreciatively. "He still doesn't trust his jump shot, apparently... but at least he knows to drive to the basket if his jump shot can't go in. He's giving the Shohoku offense some life after the dry spell."

Sendoh just nodded, agreeing with Fujima.

Meanwhile, Jin had just missed another three-pointer, with Rukawa marking him as tightly as possible. Jin looked at Rukawa in surprise as Miyagi zipped by to take the long rebound.

_Rukawa's defense is suffocating... so much different from last year!_ Jin thought in wonder as Miyagi ran downcourt.

Takeshi watched Miyagi carefully. _This shorty finally gets it..._

Miyagi slowed the dribble, seeing Takeshi in front of him. Miyagi abruptly made a head fake, then stutter-stepped quickly before blowing past Takeshi in a blur of red, leaving the other point guard stunned. Miyagi soared into the air, twisting his body as he tried to avoid Taro. Miyagi bumped into the power forward, and sensing the contact, threw the ball over his head. The ball rolled out of the rim just as the whistle blew.

"Shooting foul, white #15!" 

"Not bad, Ryo-chin!" Sakuragi laughed, slapping Miyagi on the back. Hiroshi smiled and pointed to the scoreboard, indicating that Shohoku had a chance. Although the score was still 66-61, Miyagi was walking up to take his free throws.

Miyagi took the ball in his hands and glanced at his leg. Mitsui Hisashi, #14. Miyagi turned his head towards the sidelines and saw that Mitsui was sitting on the benches, watching him intently.

Miyagi smiled, remembering what he and Mitsui talked about just before Sakuragi came back to the team.

"_I'm in the situation Kogure was in last year. So, we either keep winning, or-" Mitsui sniffed, as the two headed towards the gym doors. "Or my high school basketball days will end prematurely."_

"_We won't lose."_

Swish. The first free throw caught nothing but net.

_Miyagi turned and looked directly at Mitsui. "After all, I don't want an early retirement either."_

Swish. 66-63 now.

Miyagi pointed towards both Mitsui and Ayako at the benches. "Hey, I'm going to take us to the IH matches... just watch me! Shohoku won't lose!"

Mitsui and Ayako gaped at the short guard. Ayako felt something stirring within her. _Ryota never looked so assertive around me before..._

"Lead on, captain!" Hiroshi grinned. Rukawa shrugged, not showing any worry about the game. Sakuragi glanced at the stands and yelled towards the Sakuragi Army.

"Yeah! We're going to win!"

Kiyota gripped the ball in anger. "Damn monkey, talking like you won already?!" Kiyota jerked his thumb towards the scoreboard as he inbounded to Jin, fuming. "We're in the lead! You guys have no chance!"

Sakuragi turned his head as he jogged back onto defense. "What did you say, wild monkey? Talk after the match is over!"

"That bastard..." Kiyota ground his teeth in rage.

Jin was trying to calm everyone down as he dribbled, assuming the role of leader. However, Fujima watched Jin's actions with amusement.

"Jin doesn't even realize it, but like they did to Shohoku in the beginning, Kainan is taking themselves right into Shohoku's rhythm by slowing down the pace..."

Jin passed to Masami in the post. Masami faked right slightly, his back to Sakuragi. Sakuragi fell for it and stumbled while Masami spun on his pivot foot and laid the ball off the backboard. 68-63.

"All right!" Kiyota laughed. "What now, monkey?!" 

"Don't celebrate so early!" Sakuragi yelled as he passed in to Hiroshi, who threw a long two-handed pass to a racing Rukawa. Rukawa jumped in the air from the three-point line, then shot a bullet pass in mid-air to a streaking Miyagi, who made a smooth lay-up. 68-65.

"Shohoku is catching up!" The Kainan crowd seemed a bit nervous. Yayoi was shocked, as she watched the game in wonder.

_Shohoku doesn't seem to have become so much weaker than last year... in fact, they seem that much more athletic, despite the lack of size!_ Yayoi scribbled something on her clipboard. _Who is that rookie? And when did that redhead return to the team? I missed too much!_

Miyagi bumped fists with Rukawa. "Nice pass, man." 

"Hn." Rukawa merely nodded in response.

_Kainan has poor transition defense... our fast breaks should do just fine!_ Miyagi thought as he guarded Takeshi. Takeshi passed to Taro in preparation for his first step. Hiroshi and Sakuragi both noticed and moved slightly closer towards the middle, realizing that Miyagi might not be able to guard the first step.

Takeshi got the ball back, and suddenly was smothered. "What the..."  
  
Mitsui stood up, wincing a bit. "Yes! That's it!"  
  
Miyagi had walked up to Takeshi and was almost bodying up against him, giving Takeshi no room to maneuver forward. Takeshi was forced to dribble, and then Miyagi backed off again. It wasn't a solution to the first step, but at least it prevented it for this possession.

"Shit!" Takeshi cursed in frustration. Takeshi burst left, but Miyagi followed Takeshi all the way to the basket. Takeshi shot a running jumper under defensive pressure, and the shot bounced out. Rukawa raced in from the side to take the rebound, and promptly passed to Kuwata.  
  
Kuwata gave the ball up to Hiroshi, and the Shohoku offense set up. Sendoh watched the game in anticipation.

"Seems like Miyagi figured it out," Sendoh sighed. "Takeshi is the weakness of Kainan." 

"Maybe not."  
  
Sendoh, Fujima, and the Ryonan team turned to the new voice. Fujima's eyes widened.

"Maki..."  
  
Maki, the former star point guard of Kainan and dubbed #1 of Kanagawa, was standing at the steps. Maki's hands were in his pockets, and he was wearing a fashionable collared shirt, again making him seem older than he really was. Maki's deep tan and chiseled looks drew a few glances from the female audience, but otherwise there wasn't much recognition from the audience... possibly because most had moved away from the Ryonan team.

Maki nodded towards Fujima and Sendoh. "Nice to see you again."  
  
Sendoh gave the former guard a carefree smile. "Hi, Maki-senpai. It's been a while."

Maki found that he couldn't help but smile at the third-year, someone he last year potentially recognized as his equal. "How is the team, Sendoh?" 

"Getting by," Sendoh shrugged, downplaying Ryonan's success.

Takuma stood. "Maki-senpai, let me find you a seat." 

"Oh, you don't have to—" Maki was cut short as Takuma squeezed by Sendoh and Fujima and walked up to a nearby fan, towering over him.

"Move," Takuma said in a deep, throaty voice. The fan looked up at Takuma in fear, and quickly gave up his seat while Sendoh, Fujima, and Maki sweatdropped.

Takuma motioned towards the now available seat. "Please." 

"Uh... thanks," Maki tentatively sat down behind Fujima and Sendoh.

"You really don't see Takeshi as a weakness?" Fujima looked at Maki in awe. "Why not?" 

"Because his potential makes up for it," Maki answered briskly. "Takeshi wasn't always like this... at least, when Takato-sensei and I saw him in middle school, he wasn't."  
  
Meanwhile, Takeshi faced Miyagi, not giving any ground as he thought Miyagi would take the shot again. Miyagi dribbled at a fast, smooth pace, then crossed over the other point guard quickly, moving right. Takeshi followed.

"Don't think you can get by me so easily, you—"

Miyagi shot a one-handed bullet pass right to Rukawa, who had raced in from the other side of the basket. Rukawa took the ball and elevated over Taro and Jin, with Kiyota right behind the two. Rukawa then dunked the ball hard with his left hand, and the audience sunk into a silence while the Rukawa Brigade cheered in appreciation for their hero. 68-67.

Takeshi looked at Miyagi in shock. "Wha... you passed?"  
  
Miyagi shrugged. "Of course."  
  
Takeshi felt shocked at how easily Miyagi answered him. It was too direct... it was too simple.

It was too truthful.

Takeshi gritted his teeth. "What? What the hell do you mean?" Takeshi felt rage rise up. "Why are you doing this?"  
  
Miyagi jogged downcourt, turning his head slightly towards Takeshi. Miyagi's earring glinted under the gym lights.

"Because I'm a point guard."


	31. Chapter 30

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews: Demi-Devil-Writer- Uh, I'll continue with the IH tournaments if Shohoku makes it, and I'll write until Shohoku is eliminated. Yeah, I guess it's going to be a lot of chapters if Shohoku keeps winning, but then again, the original Slam Dunk series was in a massive 31 volumes, so I'm not even a fraction of Inoue's genius. Thanks for reading.

KobeJordan- Haha, okay, I'll write as fast as possible without forcing anything. Thanks a lot for the review, and I'm glad to hear that things are still exciting.

Laziness Incarnate- Girls like assertive guys, huh? –quickly jots that down-

Yeah, I was planning to make Maki show up during the match, but I couldn't think of when would be the right time. So I figured it would be best for Maki to show up and explain why Takeshi is the way he is.

Thanks a lot for the review, and I'm looking forward to that story of yours. :)

MichaelJordanFan- Thanks for the compliment, as well as the review.

Migo- Scouting report episodes? I'm not sure I follow you, but do you mean like sort of glimpses into the other teams playing against each other before Shohoku plays them? If so, I'll see what I can do about it.

Thanks for your review, it's good to hear from you. 

Scream Out Loud- Wow, you stayed up until 1 reading my story? Man, just hearing that makes me feel all warm and gushy inside. :) Really, thank you for doing that, but don't strain yourself.

The best story you've ever read? Haha, I doubt that, but thanks a lot for the compliment. And I don't really mind that I don't have a lot of reviews, because I'd rather have dedicated readers and reviewers rather than those that just read the story a few chapters and leave one review then disappear forever. ;)

Thank you for taking the time to review, and I'll try and continue to write well.

* * *

**Chapter 30 – Kainan, 17 Years **

Maki leaned back in his chair as he talked.

"We had gotten word of how good Takeshi was back when I was a second-year in Kainan. Takato-sensei had followed him ever since, and would often take me along to pass judgment on whether Takeshi could be the one to lead Kainan after I retired. I had seen Takeshi play in middle school, and we agreed that he could be the one to lead."

"However, that's really where the problem started."

Fujima turned his head towards Maki, his respected rival. Maki continued as Kiyota missed a jumper and Rukawa managed to take the rebound.

"Takeshi would often take it upon himself to lead, because he believed that's what star players do. When he first entered the middle school, he was a true point guard," Maki smiled faintly, as he remembered how Takeshi used to play. "Takeshi would make great decisions, run the offense well, and only take shots when the opportunity presented itself. Takeshi's defense was always lacking, but his athletic ability could compensate. We were always impressed how well he rebounded for a guard, and his first step was so fast that it really made an impression on Takato-sensei; here was a guard that could do almost everything, and it greatly appealed to the coach."

"But… I guess it was just bad luck that Takeshi had to wind up at Kitamura Middle School."

Sendoh was the one to turn to Maki this time. "Kitamura… isn't that the one…"

Maki nodded. "Yes. It was the middle school of Takenori Akagi, the former captain of Shohoku. The middle school had a reputation for losing, even when Akagi played for them. But unlike Akagi, who struggled his whole basketball career until his final year with Shohoku, Takeshi had a history of winning. So, when he went to Kitamura, he didn't have the mindset of Akagi—Akagi always had a dream of winning, and he would push himself just as much as he pushed the team. But for Takeshi, someone that had tasted victory so many times, anything less just seemed like a disappointment."

"And so he changed his game. Takeshi's teammates couldn't score well, so he trained himself to be the primary scorer. The more the team lost, the more Takeshi would take the shots, to the point where when he got the ball, he would force the shot because he believed no one could do it better. Staying on that team also bred arrogance in Takeshi, because he believed that he was the only one on the team that was qualified to lead."

Maki laughed a bit bitterly as Miyagi raced past Takeshi, throwing a quick pass in mid-air to Hiroshi. Hiroshi tapped the ball to his right, and Rukawa caught the ball and softly laid it in. 69-68, Shohoku's lead after a long struggle.

"Great!" Miyagi slapped hands with Kuwata and Sakuragi. "We're back in this!"

Takeshi looked at Miyagi. _What… how…_

_"Because I'm a point guard."_

Jin patted Takeshi on the shoulder. "You okay, man? Don't worry, we'll get our lead back." Takeshi looked up at Jin. "What?" Jin jogged off, leaving the Kainan point guard behind.

"So, Takeshi carried that attitude over to Kainan. Takato-sensei had told him to pass the ball before, but by then Takeshi's attitude had already turned… too prideful, I guess. And so that whole game, he didn't take a single shot and Kainan wound up losing." Maki sighed. "At least, that's what Jin told me. This is the first Kainan game I've been to since I went to college."

Fujima nodded. "I see. No wonder you guys let him run wild… you hope he realizes his potential again, huh?"

Maki shrugged. "That's one of two options. If he doesn't realize it… then Kainan is going to lose to Shohoku."

Takeshi handled the ball around the perimeter, keeping an eye on Miyagi. Miyagi watched carefully, ruling out that Takeshi would pass the ball unless he wanted to use the first step.

And Miyagi turned out to be right, as Takeshi again tried to pass to Taro. Miyagi leaped forward, smacking the ball out of bounds.

"Kainan ball!" the referee announced.

"Good try, Ryo-chin!" Sakuragi called from under the basket. Miyagi held his hand up, then faced Takeshi again. However, this time Takeshi was actually thinking about his decision instead of brushing it off.

_Am I that predictable?_ Takeshi thought. Just as Miyagi had realized he needed to add another dimension to his offense by shooting, and Rukawa had learned in the Sannoh game… Takeshi was thinking about something he hadn't done in almost two years.

Passing.

_But then… what after?_ Takeshi couldn't really remember what it was… that he did in middle school. After he played so many games, lost so many times in middle school… what was left? Takeshi's point guard mentality was hardly stable; he couldn't remember the plays the Takato wanted to run in any particular situation, he couldn't remember each of his players likes or dislikes, he couldn't even remember most of his teammates names. Takeshi felt a bit frustrated that he couldn't remember everything, because Takeshi hadn't bothered… because he had only thought of himself, and thought of winning.

Last year's Rukawa would have understood that feeling.

Takeshi looked at Jin, and couldn't remember his name… but he knew that he was the captain. The _captain _of Kainan. He knew that he had argued with the captain over who was the real leader, and yet when Takeshi thought of Jin as the leader now…

It felt right.

The ball left Takeshi's hands. Voluntarily. And that empty feeling Takeshi always had, when the ball wasn't in his hands, was replaced with another feeling that he had felt long ago… but he couldn't quite place his finger on what it was. It was a feeling that seemed like something he felt many times before, back when he was a star player and everyone was saying how he was going to be a great player for Japan. Jin caught the ball in surprise, and found he was open because Rukawa had rotated away in anticipation of guarding Takeshi if he raced into the key.

Takato stood from his seat. Maki and Fujima were shocked that Takeshi had just passed without Takato demanding him to. And Rukawa slowly turned his head, realizing his mistake.

Jin's three-pointer was as smooth as ever. 71-69, Kainan's lead, once again.

"What the…" Miyagi was just as shocked as the Kainan team was.

"Great, Jin!" The crowd erupted as momentum shifted back to Kainan.

"Takeshi!" The female audience screeched, overpowering the Rukawa Brigade's boos.

Jin pointed towards Takeshi. "Nice pass." Takeshi stared at his hand. Nice pass.

_Huh, that sounds pretty good too, I guess,_ Takeshi shrugged, jogging back to help on defense.

"Crap! Don't let momentum swing back!" Miyagi called to his team as he took the ball. Miyagi stopped when he was faced with Takeshi.

_His eyes… are more alert than before…_ Miyagi noticed, and realized he couldn't get by as easily as he had the last few trips down. Miyagi threw the ball to Kuwata, who shot a shaky jumper that bounced off the rim.

"Don't rush it!" Miyagi advised Kuwata, albeit too late. Hiroshi and Sakuragi both leaped into the air for the rebound, and Sakuragi took it while Hiroshi backed off to let his teammate get it.

"Under the basket is my world!" Sakuragi declared.

"Shit! Hanamachi, under you!" Miyagi warned, racing in.

"What?" Sakuragi suddenly felt the ball slapped out of his hands. Sakuragi looked down at Takeshi, who had just stolen the rebound from Sakuragi and was racing downcourt. As soon as Takeshi reached the three-point arc, Takeshi lobbed the ball up. Kiyota was so surprised that he missed the alley-oop as the ball bounced off the backboard. The Kainan crowd grew nervous again as Rukawa took the ball away.

Takeshi patted his chest. "My bad."

Kiyota looked at Takeshi in shock, so confused that his usual hyperactive nature was down a few octaves. "Ah… no… I didn't see the pass…"

Rukawa slowed his dribble as Jin came up to guard him. Rukawa then burst forward as Jin slowed down, escaping the potential triple team before it even began and leaped into the air for a quick fadeaway that bounced off the front rim but dropped through. Deadlocked at 71.

"Yeah! Our ace won't let us lose!" The Shohoku bench cheered. Sakuragi kicked Rukawa.

"Damn fox, showing off!"

Rukawa kicked Sakuragi in return. "Dou ahou."

"Okay, break it up!" Miyagi called, pointing downcourt. "Get on defense!"

Sakuragi narrowed his eyes, feeling that competitive nature take over again. "Rukawa, I'll make sure that Kainan doesn't score!"

Rukawa sighed. "Do what you want."

As Jin brought the ball downcourt, he noticed Takeshi motioning for the ball. Jin passed the ball, and Takeshi smiled in thanks. Jin was struck by the complete change in Takeshi's behavior.

_Takeshi never smiled during a match before…_ Jin thought in wonder, then remembered something. _Well, that's not true…_

Takeshi's first win with Kainan, Takeshi had cried. Probably because Takeshi hadn't felt victory for so long, after his middle school team finished their season with a horrible record, coming up last in standings. But Jin hadn't forgotten that look on Takeshi's face when Kainan had won. Although it was a blowout victory, and Takeshi was on the bench because Takato-sensei wanted Takeshi to watch the way Kainan's team worked, Takeshi was in tears. Jin remembered that Takeshi looked so relieved, and so happy, as if he finally realized that it wasn't some sort of curse that had cause his team to lose so much in middle school. Jin had patted his back, and assured him, just as he had moments ago, that Kainan would have many more victories to come, because Kainan had a history of winning.

_Takeshi finally believes my words, I guess,_ Jin shrugged, as Takeshi again beat Miyagi off the dribble with his first step, then abruptly threw the ball back out to Kiyota. This time, Kiyota was ready and he caught the ball and instantly passed back out to Jin. Jin let fly another three-pointer over Rukawa that bounced off the back rim.

Takeshi, amazingly, soared into the air and caught the offensive rebound as it had left Sakuragi's rebounding area. Takeshi then, without landing, shot the ball back up and it banked through. 73-71.

Masami rubbed Takeshi's head, as if thanking him for taking the rebound since Masami knew he couldn't beat Sakuragi in rebounding. Kiyota was busy laughing at Sakuragi while the Kainan defense set up.

"Haha, dumb monkey! Even our point guard got the rebound over you!"

"What? I don't even see you getting rebounds, idiot!" Sakuragi scoffed as Miyagi dribbled downcourt. Rukawa sighed.

"I thought you weren't going to let them score, no matter what."

"Shut up, fox!" Sakuragi roared. "I was just seeing their playing style!"

Rukawa shrugged. "We've been playing for over thirty minutes, what's there to see?"

"Damn you…" Sakuragi growled.

"Come on! Let's win this!" Miyagi yelled to his teammates. Miyagi passed to Hiroshi, who stared down Taro. Hiroshi then shot the ball right over Taro before racing past him, anticipating a miss. Taro turned, far too slowly, as Hiroshi took his own rebound and stretched his long arm out, gently laying it back in. Tied again.

"Nice, Hiro!" Sakuragi swatted Hiroshi's back as they went downcourt. Hiroshi coughed, then gave Sakuragi a smile.

Miyagi nodded. _Okay, Hiroshi has the advantage against Taro… should have gave him the ball earlier…_

Takeshi looked at the clock. 5:17 remaining. Takeshi looked downcourt and saw the Kainan offense setting up, and realized his mistake… and knew that the Kainan team would forgive him, friendly as they were. Their willingness to still trust Takeshi with the ball was evidence of that.

"Right! Let's go!" Takeshi yelled, taking the ball and dribbling steadily downcourt with much more control than before. Takeshi passed down low to Masami, who tried to power his way in. Sakuragi, however, was far too strong and didn't give any ground.

"Challenging this Tensai's power?" Sakuragi grunted. "It won't be so easy!" Masami opted to hook the ball over his shoulder, but the hook shot rattled out. Sakuragi quickly turned, boxing out Masami as he jumped into the air and took the rebound. Sakuragi turned and almost passed to Rukawa, then just barely realized his mistake and stumbled forward, practically traveling.

"Focus, Hanamachi!" Miyagi warned as he motioned for the ball. Sakuragi passed to Miyagi, berating himself for almost passing to his rival. Rukawa shrugged, not really caring as he jogged downcourt with the group.

Maki bit back a smile from the stands. _Well, Miyagi… I guess I have you to thank… without you, Takeshi wouldn't be playing like the old Takeshi. Now, let's see if you really are the number one point guard, now that Fujima and I are no longer playing…_

Haruko and the Sakuragi Army watched in breathless anticipation from the stands as Miyagi gave Takeshi a look.

"Don't be hasty, Ryota!" Ayako called from the bench. Mitsui plugged his ears at Ayako's demands, as her yell was just as loud as any fan in the Kainan gym.

"Aya-chan…" Miyagi gave her a peace sign, a blush on his cheeks already.

"Pay attention, idiot!" Mitsui was the one to give the point guard advice this time. Miyagi then abruptly dribbled the ball behind his back and zipped forward, managing to get a step ahead of Takeshi as his love-struck demeanor instantly dissolved. Miyagi bounced a pass between Sakuragi and Masami, and Rukawa calmly caught it despite the fact that Kiyota and Jin were guarding him tightly. Rukawa smoothly faked the shot, then in an explosion of speed sliced right between Kiyota and Jin before soaring into the air and dunking right over Masami, drawing gasps from the crowd and cheers from the Rukawa Brigade.

The referee blew the whistle. "Shooting foul, white #9!"

Rukawa nonchalantly walked over to the free throw line, not making a big deal of the fact that he just split a double team and dunked over Kainan's center. However, Sakuragi was making a big deal of it.

"Damn fox!" Sakuragi fumed. "Trying to pull off flashy moves to impress people! Well, you're not impressing anyone!"

Haruko, meanwhile, was swooning in the stands. "Rukawa-kun… you're so great…" The Sakuragi Army gave her an odd look, but didn't make an issue of it as they had seen Haruko enter her daydream mode many a time. Matsui and Fujii gave their friend a look of both amusement and slight disgust.

Rukawa did his typical free-throw routine and deftly shot the ball, swishing the shot and giving Shohoku a three-point lead at 76-73.

"Shit!" Kiyota cursed as he took the ball out. "Damn you, Rukawa! You think you're so great?!"

Rukawa ignored Kiyota and went onto defense, only enraging Kiyota further. When he reached Miyagi, though, he made a shooting motion with his right hand.

"Take the shot if you can," Rukawa told his captain. "They can't contain you with just that point guard." Miyagi grinned. "All right, Rukawa."

Kiyota passed to Takeshi and the two went downcourt as Takeshi called out a play. Takato swelled with pride. _Looks like he still remembers how to run an offense…_

"Captain!" Takeshi threw the ball in to a cutting Jin, who had managed to shake a surprised Rukawa as Rukawa expected Jin to shoot only three-pointers. Jin was just about to shoot when he saw two pairs of hands reach out and block his vision. Jin panicked and threw the ball back out, resulting in a steal from Miyagi.

Sakuragi poked Kuwata in the back. "Not bad, second-year," Sakuragi complimented, as the two had been the ones to force the turnover.

Miyagi went downcourt at full speed, faking a pass to Rukawa and causing Takeshi to pause, giving Miyagi the opportunity to take the ball to the basket and lay it in with his left hand. 78-73.

"All right! We're pulling away!" The Shohoku bench was joyful while the Kainan crowd was again growing nervous. Miyagi and Rukawa nodded towards each other, then again began to defend.

Takeshi handled the ball deftly, beginning to look like a point guard instead of a shooting guard. _We just need to stay close, and make a run at the end… so first, we need to score here!_

Takeshi locked eyes with Kiyota, and Kiyota quickly ran past Kuwata. At the same time, Takeshi faked left before going right, managing to just get past Miyagi's defense. Takeshi then shot a one-handed pass between Hiroshi and Taro, and Kiyota caught the ball and laid it in. 78-75. 

Takeshi's eyes suddenly lit up, and he smiled brightly as Kiyota pointed at Takeshi and Takeshi nodded.

_Oh, that feeling… I know what it is now… seeing my teammates succeed, and seeing a team working together to the fullest…_

_It's content, isn't it?_


	32. Chapter 31

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews: Demi-Devil-Writer- Hey, thanks for your comments. Your story is doing pretty well, too. Thanks for the review.

Adjustment- Haha, wow, I'm glad to see my story has such an emotional impact on people. Anyway, this is the last chapter of the Kainan-Shohoku match, so enjoy!

Shadowcleaner- Wow, my first glomp on ! I'm honored. ;) 

Takeshi's story isn't really sad, in my opinion… I felt, however, that it was more realistic to the SD characters, though, since they're all such basketball junkies and take the game seriously.

It's okay that you didn't review the last chapter, I'm just happy you're so still around. Thanks a lot for the review, and good luck in school!

Hellsing- Thanks for the compliments. I'll try to continue to write up to expectations.

Emberlion- Hi there.

Hm, another person saying assertiveness attracts women? I really HAVE TO learn from that, then. ;)

Yeah, I felt Yayoi Aida played a great role in the original Slam Dunk series, and would serve as a pretty good commentator from time to time. And I'm glad to see that Maki's reappearance is being accepted (although you are swooning over Sendoh at the moment).

Akagi really wasn't a great player when he came to Shohoku, you're right… and that's why I always figured that the middle school he went to must have been sort of screwy, since by the end of Akagi's third year, he was a monster, and even in his second year, he was commanding triple-teams by the opposition. So I always thought that the middle school he went to must not have been very good in developing Akagi as a player.

I thought about the Takeshi's abrupt change, and that's why I made him mess up his pass to Kiyota because Kiyota at first didn't know what to expect. However, I agree I should have made the Kainan team been in disarray for a while longer before things fell into place. Let's just say I got lazy. ;) Still, thanks for noticing that, and I agree with you completely; the team's change was far too smooth.

Oh, your consistent reviews really do help a lot. I really thank you, and all the other reviewers, for sticking around with the story for so long. Your story (or stories, now) is going along great, and I hope you update soon as well.

Kenjiro Akisama- Bother? Of course not, my friend. You're a massive help. :)

Yeah, at times I wanted to make the physical humor of Rukawa and Sakuragi happen more often… but I figured since the two needed to mature their relationship a bit, I'd keep that under control. Still, I understand why you would want to see Rukawa kick Sakuragi a couple times, and I'll see what I can do about that. :)

Your comments about the last few chapters are flattering, and I thank you. As for me not being a writer to insult my characters, haha, I don't know about that… I may do it in the future. ;) But again, thanks a lot for holding me in such high esteem.

I wanted to develop Takeshi's character not just to give Shohoku trouble, but also to make sure Kainan would still have someone to give the team a bright future, since after all… the Kainan team _does _have a history of winning.

I hope that I can keep the comic relief up in the story, but I'm not really good with that because Inoue's way of showing humor in the manga was just so smart and fit the characters so well that I'm not sure I can do it. Still, I'll try.

Thanks for another informative review; I appreciate it. 

Mitra1- My goodness. Really, saying that you read my story like the original manga… that is just a huge compliment. I really thank you for saying that, and although I may not be a true sequel for Slam Dunk, I'll keep trying.

Yeah, putting Sendoh, Fujima, and Maki together is sort of weird, but at the same time, since Maki and Fujima really have no one to hang out with, I just shoved them together with Sendoh and the Ryonan team. Good for you to notice that, though.

Thanks a lot for your other comments!

Migo- Okay, if I have time and inspiration, I'll be sure to write one or two scouting reports. Thanks for the review.

* * *

**Chapter 31 – Overthrow **

Mitsui gripped the towel tightly in his right hand. He was still on his feet, watching Shohoku try to enter the IH Tournament. Except Mitsui was watching from the sidelines: he wasn't a player, but a spectator at the moment.

_I wish… I could help them…_ Mitsui thought, looking down at his sprained ankle in disgust. Mitsui's experienced eyes already saw the change in Kainan, just as Maki, Fujima, and Sendoh all had noticed. Takeshi had begun to share the ball, and at the same time used his offensive prowess to score when Kainan needed it. Kainan was playing at full power, and Shohoku was still missing one of their deadliest outside shooters and the veteran of the team.

"So what happens now?" Fujima wondered aloud from the stands. "Kainan won't go away, and Takeshi's play is improving rapidly…"

Sendoh pondered the question intently, then smiled innocently. "I guess it will be up to those two second years."

"Second years?" Fujima asked, just as Rukawa spun around Jin and shot a quick jump shot that clanged out.

"Idiot fox!" Sakuragi tapped the rebound out of Masami's reach, then dove onto the floor to save it. Sakuragi looked up slightly and saw Hiroshi open. Sakuragi threw the ball up just as Taro and Masami had come to take the ball away from the floored Sakuragi.

Hiroshi took the ball, set his feet, and shot the three-pointer. The Kainan team looked up at the rim just as the shot went through the net. 81-75.

"Great, Hiroshi!" Miyagi called, pointing to Hiroshi. Hiroshi smiled faintly at his captain as he backpedaled onto defense; visibly tired despite the break he had earlier when he was in foul trouble.

"Damn!" Kiyota swore. "Taro, why didn't you mark him?!"

"Sorry," Taro apologized as Kiyota threw the ball in to Takeshi, fuming.

Takeshi handled the ball upcourt, then waited for Masami to catch up and assume position under the basket. Takeshi then tried to race past Miyagi, but Miyagi easily stayed in front of him.

_Can't beat him with speed…_ Takeshi thought as he stopped his dribble, then spun on his pivot foot and passed behind his back right to Masami. Masami took the ball and dribbled once, bumping into Sakuragi before throwing a shot up over Sakuragi's outstretched arms. 81-77.

"Shooting foul, red #10! Basket counts!" The referee pointed to Sakuragi, and Sakuragi immediately faced the referee threateningly.

"What?! I was just standing there!" Sakuragi was just about to grab the referee before Miyagi grabbed Sakuragi's ear and tried desperately to pull him away.

"Stop it! We can't afford to get you kicked out right now!" Miyagi lead the center off, while Sakuragi kept arguing as he was dragged away.

Masami walked up to take his free throw while Sakuragi seethed with anger as he stood outside the paint. Masami's free throw missed, and Sakuragi outjumped all the other players and caught the rebound with both hands.

"Mine!" Sakuragi declared, cradling the rebound close to his body so it couldn't be stolen away. Sakuragi swept his head around, making sure Takeshi wasn't lurking under him to steal before he passed off to Miyagi.

"Good rebound, man," Miyagi complimented as he took the ball downcourt. Miyagi began barking out orders as he crossed the halfcourt line. "Okay, come on! Keep the offensive pressure on them! We have to enter the Inter-High matches!"

Hiroshi quickly jogged up to Miyagi to set a screen, and Miyagi took advantage of it and raced around Hiroshi as Takeshi bumped right into the lean forward. Miyagi crossed the ball over to his right hand as he went up for the lay-up, throwing the ball high up over Masami and Taro's outstretched hands. However, the ball went halfway down before rimming back out.

"Crap!" Miyagi said aloud in frustration. Luckily, Rukawa and Sakuragi quickly ran in to take the offensive rebound… and unfortunately, they caught it at the same time.

"It's mine, fox!" Sakuragi growled as he pulled on the ball. Rukawa sighed.

"Dou ahou, let it go. We're on the same team."

"But it's my hard earned rebound!" Sakuragi said stubbornly, again giving the ball a tug. Rukawa gave up and just let the ball go.

"Haha! Thanks, fox!" Sakuragi turned in triumph. "Gorilla Dunk!"  
  
Sakuragi went into the air, but Takeshi was under Sakuragi to strip the ball again as Sakuragi dunked on the rim without a ball.

"Run!" Takeshi called, bursting forward and leaving the redhead behind him. The Shohoku defense wasn't able to catch up as Takeshi threw the ball over to Jin. Jin passed over the only Shohoku defender—Kuwata—and Kiyota caught the ball and jammed a tomahawk dunk in, again trying to show off for the crowd as the cheers filled the building. 81-79.

"What now, monkey?!" Kiyota taunted Sakuragi, thumping his chest the whole way downcourt. Rukawa gave Sakuragi a look.

"Look what you've done."

"I don't want to hear it, fox!" Sakuragi roared, turning away from Rukawa. "It's not like you could get down there to defend!"  
  
Rukawa shrugged helplessly, and motioned for the ball as Miyagi came downcourt, not noticing that the three Kainan defenders were coming up behind him. Miyagi gave Rukawa a slight nod, and then once again took Takeshi off the dribble, using his superior speed to try and penetrate the defense and set up his teammates. Takeshi tried to catch up, but by then Miyagi was almost a full two strides ahead of the other guard. Miyagi ran right into Masami, head down as he powered his way around Kainan's center. Miyagi finally made his way under the basket and threw the ball back out, having drawn two of the five Kainan players over to him.

_Wait… only two?_ Miyagi thought in horror, suddenly realizing that he had turned the ball over as the triple-teamed Rukawa was unable to get the ball and the ball flew out of bounds.

"White ball!" The referee declared. Miyagi hung his head.

"Sorry guys," Miyagi muttered. Sakuragi quickly slapped the short point guard's back in an effort to comfort him.

"Hey, don't worry! It's better that punk Rukawa doesn't get the ball!" Sakuragi laughed. Miyagi, however, didn't hear Sakuragi as he glanced up at the clock. 2:36 left.

_Roughly five possessions left for the game_, Miyagi calculated. _Maybe more, if we don't use the whole shot clock…_

_Dr T.: Shot clocks in Slam Dunk and most high schools are set at 30 seconds. In the NBA, as well as international competition, it is 24 seconds._

Meanwhile, Takato was grinning from the bench, fanning himself. _Good… we can win, now that the game is winding down!_

Takeshi dribbled the ball steadily upcourt, yelling a play out to the Kainan players. Takeshi then held the ball over his head and carefully passed to Kiyota. Kiyota faked, then went past Kuwata again, using his athleticism to the fullest.

Hiroshi immediately switched off of Taro to help cover for Kuwata, reaching over to try and strip the ball away. Kiyota stopped his dribble and took two strides forward, overpowering Hiroshi's steal attempt and heading right for the basket. Kiyota twirled in the air, then dunked from the other side of the basket, tying the scores up. 81-81.

"Shit!" Miyagi swore as Kiyota raised his hands to the crowd, trying to increase the cheers. "We fought so hard for this…"

Mitsui watched nervously. _They're falling apart… can they handle the pressure of Kainan's offensive run?_

"Guys, take it slowly!" Mitsui called. "Keep the pressure on them!"

"Ryota! You can do it!" Ayako encouraged from Mitsui's side. Miyagi nodded to both of them and took the ball downcourt.

"Let's do it!" Miyagi ordered. "Let's stop that run!"

"Right!" Sakuragi slapped his hands together. "Gotta do it for Micchi!"  
  
Miyagi stutter-stepped quickly, making loud taps on the floor as the tip of his shoes smacked against the floor. Miyagi then burst right, shaking Takeshi but crashing right into Jin, sending the shooter to the floor.

The referee's whistle instantly stopped the game. "Charging foul, red #4!"

Miyagi jerked his head up. "What?"  
  
The Kainan players grouped around Jin, lifting him back to his feet. "Great play, captain!"  
  
Miyagi tossed the ball over to the referee, knowing he couldn't argue. _Damn… another wasted possession…_

Rukawa kept his cool as Takeshi approached, watching the point guard while keeping an eye on Jin. Takeshi, as Rukawa predicted, gave the ball to Jin this time around.

_Trying to take the lead now_, Rukawa thought, assuming defensive position. _Better watch him carefully…_

Jin turned his boyish face to Rukawa, considering the star player. Jin then looked behind Rukawa, and Rukawa shifted his weight over to his heels.

_A pass? No, not yet…_ Rukawa analyzed, moving in closer to Jin. Jin began to dribble, then ran forward, trying to beat Rukawa with a burst of speed. Rukawa was able to react quickly enough to stay close to Jin, though, and Jin raced to the underside of the hoop before throwing the ball back out to Takeshi. Takeshi faked forward, sending Miyagi slightly off balance and stepped back for the pull-up jumper. The ball swished through the basket, and the crowd erupted.

"Takeshi! Jin! Great!" The crowd's cheers filled the stadium as Kainan took the lead again. "Take Shohoku down!"  
  
Miyagi and Rukawa gave each other an unhappy look, feeling that they failed to defend Kainan. The clock stood at 1:29.

Haruko placed her hands over her mouth in shock. "Oh no…"  
  
Youhei looked worried as well. "Yeah, this isn't good… Kainan's back in front…"  
  
Fujima sighed. "That could be it. If Shohoku can't stop Kainan now, it's over. Any predictions, Maki?"  
  
Maki shook his head silently, and continued watching the game.

Miyagi cradled the ball in his arms as soon as Kuwata inbounded it to him, closing his eyes and tilting his head to the ceiling. _This is it… for Aya-chan… for Shohoku… we have to win!  
_  
Miyagi then opened his eyes, paused for a second, and ran full speed down the court, leaning his body down towards the floor as he accelerated at a feverish pace, looking almost out of control. Takeshi went forward to draw the charge, but Miyagi spun incredibly fast around Takeshi, using his left leg as the pivot, demonstrating his dribbling ability. Takeshi looked down at Miyagi's left leg as Miyagi blew past Takeshi with overwhelming speed.

Mitsui Hisashi, #14. 

Miyagi began dribbling the ball farther away from his body and to his side, enticing Taro and Kiyota to switch off Rukawa to try and steal. Miyagi then ran straight into Masami and grunted with effort as he jumped into the air, still pressed against Masami as he brought the ball back in towards his body.

"He can't make that shot! It's over!" Takato grinned from the benches, fanning himself more vigorously as felt victory at his fingertips. However, Takeshi watched in wonder as Miyagi passed the ball right behind his head, the ball grazing dangerously past Taro and Kiyota's outstretched hands. Miyagi landed on his right foot, then stumbled forward before catching his balance as he turned his head towards the person he sent the pass to.

_That's all I can do… just remember one thing…_

Rukawa caught the brilliant pass from Miyagi, then turned towards Jin, his fox-like eyes narrowed and his body lowered into offensive position.

_…Rukawa, no one can beat you one on one!_

Rukawa faked forward, then dribbled right, heading towards the center. Jin followed as best as he could before Rukawa went full force and abruptly pulled to a stop. Jin, on the other hand, couldn't stop himself and went forward one step too many, leaving Rukawa open for a very brief instant. Jin tried to recover and turned, aiming to block Rukawa.

Too late. 

Rukawa leaped into the air, the ball placed firmly in his right hand, the left hand steadily keeping it in place. Rukawa's arm was cocked back into standard jump shot position, and his left arm with the letters written in small print "Mitsui Hisashi, #14" above his arm band kept the ball balanced before it tilted away as Rukawa let the jump shot fly. Rukawa's right arm was still outstretched, his fingers pointing towards the ground as the ball swished through the bottom of the net. 83-83, with 1:12 left.

"Rukawa! Kyaaa!" The Rukawa Brigade screamed, seeing their hero tie up the game. Rukawa pointed towards Miyagi, acknowledging the great play Miyagi made. Miyagi nodded in Rukawa's direction, but the two remained serious.

"All right guys!" Miyagi yelled as the Shohoku team went downcourt. "Guard this with your life!"

"You bet, Ryo-chin!" Sakuragi called as the Shohoku defense set up. Takeshi looked at Miyagi in slight surprise, obviously still impressed from the last blind pass Miyagi made.

_This shorty… no, this point guard…_ Takeshi corrected. _Really… he really is amazing…_

Takeshi's face then hardened. _But I don't want to lose, either!_  
  
Takeshi passed to Kiyota, and Kiyota quickly shot the ball right back to Takeshi, as if reading his mind. Miyagi felt his stomach clench in worry, knowing what was coming.

Takeshi leaned down, then seemingly disappeared, blowing past Miyagi in one explosive stride… living up to his nickname of "Ghost." Miyagi turned, knowing he was too late as Takeshi raced in, his present running speed nowhere close to the shocking swiftness of his first step. Takeshi passed to his side, and the ball wound up in Masami's hands. Masami caught the ball, and went straight up for the close shot. 

"Fly…"  
  
Masami was instantly covered by shadow, as a body sprung up so high that it covered Masami's vision. Masami's shot arched into the air, but a hand tapped the underside of the ball.

"Swatter!"  
  
The ball never reached the rim, as Sakuragi's block turned the shot into an air ball. Kiyota raced in and took the loose ball, aiming to put the ball right back in. Sakuragi landed, and with his superhuman stamina and speed, turned and soared right back into the air, smacking Kiyota's shot right back out with astounding power. Sakuragi landed, his legs flexing under him.

"Keep those shots out of here, monkey!"  
  
Jin scooped up the blocked shot, before another hand darted in, slamming the ball out of Jin's hands and back towards Shohoku's basket. The long right arm went right between Jin's hands, and Jin could see the name "Mitsui Hisashi, #14" trailing down the arm.

Hiroshi crashed onto the floor, his momentum far too great from racing forward to take the steal. Hiroshi leaned his head up and began crawling towards the rolling basketball, his teeth gritted as he felt there was no time to waste in picking himself off the floor.

"Someone, get the ball!" Hiroshi yelled, his usually quiet voice tight with determination. A hand reached down and scooped up the ball, and Hiroshi felt nervousness invade him before it abated quickly… because on the back of the hand that had taken the ball, there was a phrase that was all too familiar.

Kuwata took the loose ball and looked up, throwing the ball downcourt to Miyagi, who was racing along with Rukawa and Sakuragi on a three-on-two fast break.

Only Masami and Taro had managed to get downcourt for the Kainan team, the rest of the players a step behind. Miyagi raced straight at Taro, faked a pass to Rukawa on his left side, then threw a pass to his right, where Sakuragi was running.

"Commoner's shot!" Sakuragi yelled, just as Masami's massive arm smacked Sakuragi accidentally. Sakuragi hit the floor, but his lay-up hit the backboard and went neatly through the net. 85-83, 0:26 seconds remaining.

The referee blew his whistle, and pointed to Masami. "Shooting foul, white #9! Basket COUNTS!"

The crowd quieted in a hurry, while the Shohoku bench exploded in cheers.

"Great play, guys!"  
  
Anzai chuckled to himself, then clapped softly. Mitsui and Ayako turned to the coach, smiles on their faces. Sakuragi bounced right back to his feet, tilting the side of his face with Mitsui's name on it towards Miyagi.

"Not bad for this Tensai, right?"

Miyagi instantly punched Sakuragi's shoulder, a huge grin on his face. "If you make this free-throw, it will be more than not bad!"  
  
Hiroshi was still lying on the floor, except now he had rolled onto his back, and was staring at the ceiling, a smile of relief on his face. Rukawa, amazingly, was the first to walk over to Hiroshi and offered Hiroshi a hand. Hiroshi, though, picked himself up, as he was still accustomed to the street basketball style of play where no one really cared. 

"Thanks, senpai," Hiroshi said anyway, slapping Rukawa's outstretched hand. Rukawa nodded.

Sendoh smiled again. Pointing over at Sakuragi and Rukawa, Sendoh finally answered Fujima's earlier question, with confidence.

"…Those two second-years."

Sakuragi walked up to take his free-throw. Sakuragi leaned down in that weird position he used to use to take free-throws, then leaned back up to a normal shooting position and shot the ball. It went neatly through, making the scores 86-83.

"All right! Great, Hanamachi!" Miyagi was the one to smack Sakuragi on the back this time as the Shohoku team went back down onto defense. The Kainan team looked shocked.

"Guard the three! Guard the three!" Mitsui called from the benches. "It's not over yet!"  
  
Takeshi dribbled downcourt before slowing his dribble and tried desperately to set up a play, but found that there was no way to shoot a clean three-pointer now that the Shohoku defense was only worrying about that. Takeshi passed to Kiyota, who tried to race in… but Hiroshi instantly switched over to help Kuwata. Kiyota passed back to Takeshi, finding that he couldn't get in closer. Takeshi raced in instead and passed over to Jin, who shot a jumper that swished… but now, it didn't really matter to the Shohoku team. 86-85, 0:08 remaining.

Rukawa inbounded to Miyagi. Miyagi, however, couldn't contain his joy as he quickly dribbled around two Kainan defenders who had tried to foul him intentionally to drag the game on. Miyagi stopped, then threw the ball high into the air as the Shohoku team began celebrating. Miyagi pointed his finger to the air, laughing.

"Yes! We did it! WE DID IT!"

And as the game clock finally clicked down to zero, the Kainan University dynasty… their 17 years of winning… finally drew to a close.


	33. Chapter 32

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews: Emberlion- A tomahawk dunk is basically just dunking with one hand, but doing it in a very exaggerated motion. Basically, the player will bring the ball behind his head, then swing the arm in a half circle to dunk the ball.

Kiyota is always dunking because as a basketball player, he isn't particularly capable. As shown in the original Slam Dunk manga, Kiyota really can't do anything but rely on his athleticism and close shots, so he basically just tries to find a way to the basket to make shots. Fukuda from Ryonan plays like him as well, except Kiyota's defense is better than Fukuda but Fukuda is a much more capable offensive player.

Haha, that little bit you wrote about Mitsui and you celebrating with the Sakuragi Army was amusing, and thanks a lot for your comments. And no, it isn't a fight between Ryonan and Shohoku for the number 1 spot; Ryonan has a better record than Shohoku, so they get the number 1 spot in Kanagawa. Both teams enter the IH matches, though.

Yeah, Sendoh should be #4 now that he is captain of Ryonan. And I'm happy that you like Hiroshi's character, and yes, I plan to develop relationships and character interaction for a while. I personally need a break from writing basketball too. ;)

I'm sure Akagi would be proud. :) Thanks a lot for your review!

Laziness Incarnate- Wow, I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the final chapter of the match so much. I tried to make that final chapter a bit dramatic because Kainan deserved to go down fighting, but I wanted to emphasize that Shohoku had much more chemistry already developed on top of their talent, resulting in their win.

I'm very happy to hear that the story is cohesive, as I am indeed trying to draw back what I wrote in previous chapters as well as things from the original manga back in the story to try and make everything seem more like a sequel than being episodic. Thanks a lot for your compliments, I really appreciate them.

Migo- Thanks a lot. And a cookie? Mmm, I'm interested. ;)

Adjustment- Thank you for your compliment, I'll try to continually write well.

Demi-Devil-Writer- Haha, I'm happy to hear that. And thank you for your praise.

Mak- Yeah, it really does come down to those two… after all, Anzai thinks that the two players are prodigies. And yes, you're right about the international shot clock being 24 seconds now: my bad. I'll edit that away sometime, and thanks for catching that.

Yun Fei- Oh no… are you okay? Please, get better soon—I'm sure all of us here wish the best for your health.

Thanks for your review, but please take it easy.

* * *

**Chapter 32 – Voyage**

Takato quietly closed his eyes, in contemplation of the loss. His fan was now at his side, no longer moving.

_Shohoku… is a very strong team…_ Takato thought to himself. _This loss… I hope we learn from it._

Kiyota stood by himself, blocking out the cheers from the Shohoku team. Kiyota reached up to his headband and took it off, his long and unruly hair now spreading over to his shoulders. Kiyota sighed, very disappointed, and his usual hyperactive nature almost completely gone. Jin soon walked up to Kiyota.

"You okay?"

Kiyota nodded at his captain. "I'm sorry…"

"Hm?" Jin looked at Kiyota quizzically.

Kiyota sighed again heavily. "Captain, I'm sorry that this had to be your last game."

Jin looked surprised, and then his face contorted. Jin's tears quickly began flowing.

"Kiyota man…" Jin patted Kiyota on the shoulder, and started to sob quietly to himself. Kiyota looked at his senior, then placed his hand on the taller player's head as Jin's emotions overtook him.

Jin, the quiet, mild-mannered shooter of Kainan… forced to live in Maki's shadow and burdened with the pressure of sending Kainan to the IH matches to keep up their history of winning, could only cry at his loss.

Masami and Taro stood near center court, ready to accept their loss. The two would be the foundation of Kainan's future success, but for now, the two tall players could only accept their loss. Masami, the center that played with finesse, and Taro, the well built but at times flawed basketball player, just waited for the Shohoku team to finish celebrating.

"Old man! We did it!" Sakuragi laughed, gripping the coach in a bear hug. Miyagi was walking around the Shohoku team, slapping hands and laughing in joy. Mitsui was also standing, grinning happily as Ayako supported him. Hiroshi was crying again, except unlike the Ryonan loss, these were tears of joy. The wandering orphan, who found his only joy and success in basketball, could finally celebrate with an actual team instead of random people off the street.

Rukawa looked emotionless, but everyone knew he was pleased with the victory… and probably wouldn't have accepted anything less than that. Miyagi pulled Rukawa over, surprising the often aloof forward.

"Hey man, come on!"

The Shohoku players gathered in a small circle, and placed their hands together. The different colored hands, some tan, some pale, some with writing on it, joined together and then fell away, the second of union amongst the players done with.

The referee pointed at the Shohoku players. "Come on, gather in the middle."

The starting players lined up, facing one another. Sakuragi was supporting Mitsui, who had hobbled over to meet in the middle since Kuwata knew that his senior was the true starter of the team. Jin's tears were already drying on his face as the referee yelled out the score.

"86 to 85! The winner is Shohoku High!"

The starters bowed.

"Thank you for the game!"

The starters walked around, shaking hands. Kainan, the losers, were taking the loss gracefully.

Even Takeshi.

"Great game," Takeshi said, this time taking Miyagi's hand in his own. Miyagi nodded.

"It sure was."

"I'm sorry I acted like a jerk earlier, man. But I guess that's why we lost, huh?" Takeshi laughed bitterly, and Miyagi could offer no other words of consolation for that. Miyagi gripped Takeshi's hand a bit tighter, then released it.

"You're going to be a great player. Just keep a level-head, okay?"

"Thanks," Takeshi replied. "I'll try and see you guys in the IH matches."

Sakuragi brought Mitsui over to Jin, and the two shooters faced each other, respect in their eyes. Mitsui nodded at Jin, and motioned for Sakuragi to let him go. Mitsui balanced gingerly on his ankle, and the two shooters embraced.

"Hey, you played great," Mitsui said, patting Jin's back. "You were a great captain."

Jin smiled. "Hm. Thanks man."

The two drew apart, and Mitsui and Jin gripped hands tightly, knowing that this was goodbye. Mitsui would never see Jin's shooting in an official high school match, ever again.

"I'll see you guys at the IH matches," Jin promised. "I'll be sure to drag along that monkey and Maki, too."

"Glad to hear it," Mitsui said, and the two shooters released their grip. "See you around, Jin."

"Ah. Later, senpai."

Kiyota and Sakuragi faced each other duly. Kiyota pointed right at Sakuragi's face, trying to look energetic.

"You got lucky this time, monkey! But next year, just watch! Kainan will crush you!"

Sakuragi scoffed. "Psh. By then, this Tensai will be too much for such a weak team!"

Kiyota smiled. "You better be. I don't want to beat you down too fast!"

"Same to you, monkey!" Sakuragi laughed, and the two bumped fists, the promise of a future match made.

Hiroshi shook all the players hands, and upon reaching Jin, Jin nodded with respect at the rookie, still remembering Hiroshi's final steal.

"You played very well."

Hiroshi smiled modestly. "Thank you."

"It's not going to matter, though… I'm going to dunk on you, anyway!" Kiyota interjected, walking away from Sakuragi. Hiroshi laughed as he shook Kiyota's hand.

Rukawa and Jin faced on another, and Rukawa was the first to stick his hand out.

"Good game."

Jin nodded, and took Rukawa's hand. "Indeed, it was. You are only going to get better, Rukawa. You really were amazing today."

Rukawa shrugged, as if he didn't do much in the match. "Hm, really? Thank you."

Miyagi and Jin, the captains of the teams, were the last to meet. Miyagi looked up at the much taller player, and the two embraced momentarily.

"Good luck in the Inter-Highs."

"Thank you," Miyagi said. They drew apart, and bid their farewell to one another.

"Hey, they're going to hand out rewards now, let's go!" Hikoichi said, pushing a reluctant Sendoh down the steps as the rest of the Ryonan team followed.

The high school basketball teams of Kanagawa gathered at center court, and an official stood from his seat at a nearby table.

"First place in the Kanagawa district, Ryonan High! Runner up, Shohoku High!" The official paused. "Represent Kanagawa well in the Inter-High tournament!"

The gym burst into cheers, and the players nodded duly.

And soon, the rewards were passed out. This year, Akira Sendoh of Ryonan High won the MVP award, much to his embarrassment.

The top five players in the district were nominated as Akira Sendoh, Rukawa Kaede, Takeshi Junko, Jin Soichiro, and Itou Taku.

Ryonan High would make their first appearance in the Inter-High games, and for the second straight year, the underrated Shohoku High would participate.

The stats sheet for the game was later published:

**Kainan University**

Uchimura Takeshi - 14-19 FG, 0-3 three pointers, 4-5 FT, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, **32 points**

Kiyota Nobunaga- 9-14 FG, 2 steals, 1 block, 1 assist, **18 points**

Jin Soichiro- 9-13 FG, 7-10 three pointers, 3 assists, **25 points**

Tezuka Taro - 1 rebound

Abe Masami - 5-9 FG, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 0-1 FT, **10 points**

**Shohoku High**

Miyagi Ryota- 7-9 FG, 2-2 FT, 1 rebound, 5 steals, 10 assists, **16 points**

Mitsui Hisashi- 7-15 FG, 5-11 three pointers, 1 rebound, 1 assist, **19 points**

Rukawa Kaede- 16-24 FG, 3-3 FT, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 3 assists, **35 points**

Kazuo Hiroshi - 3-6 FG, 1-1 three pointers, 4 steals, 2 rebounds, 1 block, 3 assists, **7 points**

Sakuragi Hanamichi- 4-11 FG, 1-1 FT, 16 rebounds (11 offensive), 1 steal, 5 blocks, 2 assists, **9 points**

* * *

"Haruko-san!"

"Sakuragi-kun!"

The tall redheaded went over to his crush. "Did you see us?! Did you see this Tensai's effort?"

Haruko clapped her hands in joy. "Of course! You guys played great! My brother is going to be so excited to hear this when he comes home!"

"Akagi? Excited?" Mitsui scoffed. "The guy is too serious to—"

"Hey, the injured shouldn't be talking!" Ayako smacked Mitsui on the head with her fan.

It was the next day, and Sakuragi, Mitsui, Ayako, and Haruko had coincidentally bumped into each other in the hallways of school. Now that Shohoku had clinched a spot into the Nationals, there was one month before the games would begin. Anzai had called off practice for the day to let the players rest. Mitsui felt fortunate that there was so long for his sprain to get better, but Mitsui still forced himself to use crutches to get better even faster and practice as soon as possible.

"Well, I'm going to the gym," Sakuragi said, waving to the group. Mitsui raised an eyebrow.

"Sakuragi, you know that practice is off today, right?"

Sakuragi grinned. "Of course this Tensai knows. I just wanted to practice a bit on my own, is all."

Ayako smiled. "Okay, go ahead then. It should be unlocked right now."

"I know. Later guys. Bye, Haruko-chan!"

The cheerful redhead waved again to his crush and walked off, feeling content.

"I am the Tensai basketball player!" Sakuragi sang as he walked towards the gym, drawing odd looks from the other students. "As long as I'm here, everything is going to be all right! Here goes a slam dunk!"

Sakuragi opened the gym doors, and looked inside in surprise.

Miyagi turned towards the redhead. "Oh, hey Hanamichi."

Hiroshi and Rukawa also stopped dribbling, and turned to see who it was. Hiroshi raised his hand in Sakuragi's direction in greeting, while Rukawa just stared vacantly.

"What are you guys doing here?" Sakuragi asked, closing the door. Still, he knew the answer… they had come for the same reason he had.

"What does it look like? We're practicing," Miyagi said casually, walking off. Sakuragi saw Yasuda, Kakuta, Kuwata, and the two benchwarming second years Iishi Kentaro and Sasaoka Satoro also practicing on the other side of the court as he laid his bags down.

"Still, I didn't think you'd show up," Miyagi smiled, tossing a ball abruptly in Sakuragi's direction. "Come on, take a few shots. We're too tired to actually do anything official today."

Sakuragi grinned. "Watch this Tensai jump shot!" Sakuragi shot, and amazingly the shot went through.

Hiroshi smiled and clapped silently, while Rukawa just shot a jumper and swished the ball as well.

"Damn you, fox!" Sakuragi growled. "Trying to show off?!"

Rukawa shrugged. "You wanted to show off first."

"Rukawa…" Sakuragi said threateningly, walking towards the forward. Miyagi quickly kicked Sakuragi in the rear.

"Come on, now. I don't want to see you guys fight today," Miyagi said tolerantly.

"Fine, Ryo-chin," Sakuragi said grudgingly, nursing his backside. Rukawa sighed a small mushroom cloud and walked over to pick up another basketball.

The group shot around, conversing about random topics. A casual atmosphere descended, and the starters were soon laughing among one another as Sakuragi began missing layups, resulting in the redhead chasing them around the gym. Rukawa, of course, didn't act as carefree as the others but still looked comfortable amongst their childish antics. After all… he was still a kid himself.

"Oh, that reminds me," Hiroshi said. "There are still some basketball matches going on. If you guys want to go sometime, we can see how the opposition is."

Sakuragi stopped chasing Miyagi. Miyagi nodded.

"Right, I told Hiroshi about this when he came in. Good memory there."

Hiroshi smiled, while Sakuragi became excited. "Great! When are we going?"

"I don't know." Miyagi scratched his head sheepishly, and the other players sweatdropped.

Rukawa thought for a moment. "Yamanashi Prefecture."

The other three starters turned to their ace player. "Hm?"

Rukawa looked at them. "I'm sure there will be a match at the Yamanashi Prefecture this afternoon. Sensei mentioned it."

"Let's go see Mt. Fuji!" Sakuragi grinned, and Miyagi smacked him on the head.

"We aren't going there to play, we're going there to see how the other teams are. Rukawa, do you think we can make it?"

Rukawa walked over to his bag and checked his cell phone. "It's 3:06 P.M. I don't know when the game is, though."

Miyagi thought about it for a minute. "It's a gamble, but if we catch a train now, we might catch the tail end of the game. Interested?"

Hiroshi scratched his head. "If we all rode our bikes to the station, then maybe…"

"Right, that's the only choice," Miyagi agreed. "Up for it?"

Rukawa shrugged, while Sakuragi grumbled about not going to see Mt. Fuji. Miyagi sighed.

"Whatever, I'm going. Tag along if you guys want."

Miyagi quickly told Yasuda where he was going, and begged him to help clean and lock up the gym later. Yasuda nodded, and soon Miyagi ran out the door, with Hiroshi following him.

"Coming along, Hiroshi?" Miyagi smiled as he went on his bike. Hiroshi grinned at his senior.

"It's not like I have anything to do at home."

"Damn, we're coming!" Sakuragi yelled from behind them. Miyagi turned and saw Sakuragi and Rukawa jogging up. Miyagi nodded at them.

"Thanks for coming along."

"Whatever, Ryo-chin," Sakuragi muttered. Miyagi sighed.

"Fine, if we have time, we can go see Mt. Fuji, okay?"

Sakuragi instantly cheered up. "Really?!"

Miyagi looked over at Rukawa. "Exactly where are we going?"

Rukawa thought for a second. "The match is between Koen High and Katsura High."

Sakuragi laughed mockingly. "I can't believe you know what's going on at all, fox!"

Rukawa shrugged as the group took off on their bikes, heading for the station.

* * *

"Koen High is coming up so we need to get off there," Hiroshi noted, as the train sped along. The place was cramped, considering how tall the basketball players were and how they had fit their bikes into the area.

Miyagi stared inside his wallet in tears. "I can't believe this…"

Sakuragi smacked Miyagi on the back. "Don't worry, Ryo-chin! I'll pay you back for the ticket."

"How the hell do you only carry 500 yen around with you?! You can barely get anywhere with that amount of money!" Miyagi said unhappily.

"Pachinko parlors," Sakuragi answered bluntly, while Rukawa sighed.

"Guys, it's our stop," Hiroshi interrupted as the train slowed down. The four burst out the train and got on their bikes, speeding down the steps and scaring the pedestrians.

"We have to hurry!" Miyagi called as the four rode at a dangerous pace. Rukawa, meanwhile, had already fallen asleep on his bike and Hiroshi was desperately trying to stop his senior from slamming into a car.

"How can he fall asleep like that?" Miyagi wondered aloud as they turned a corner, pedaling like mad. Hiroshi narrowly avoided a parked car, as he was using one hand to guide Rukawa and the other to steer his own bike.

"Hiro, let the fox crash," Sakuragi suggested brightly.

"There! There it is!" Miyagi pointed with his left hand, his right still on the handlebars. The players turned into the high school, with the beautiful Mt. Fuji towering over it.

"Off! Off! We don't have much time!" Miyagi hopped off his still moving bike, caught his balance, and ran his bike right into the wall. Miyagi ignored that and turned his bike towards the long bike racks that held all the students' bikes and locked his bike up, then raced off for the gym. Sakuragi hit Rukawa on the head to wake him up as the other three basketball players pulled to a halt.

"Wake up, fox! We're here!" Sakuragi pulled his bike alongside Miyagi's while Rukawa's eyes fluttered open.

"No one disturbs my sleep…" Rukawa said groggily, punching Sakuragi on his head.

"Ow! What the hell, fox?!" Sakuragi turned, about to get into a fight with Rukawa. Hiroshi quickly pushed the two apart, his long arms creating more than enough space between the two.

"Calm down! Captain is already at the gym, so let's hurry!"

The three secured their bikes and then took off, chasing after Miyagi. The three saw Koen High's gym and burst through the doors, gasping for breath.

Miyagi was standing at the entrance, and Sakuragi poked him in the back. "Hey, how's it looking?"

Miyagi moved to the side. "Less than a minute left," Miyagi answered glumly. Yoshida High was at 68 points, and Katsura High was at 63. The four Shohoku players squeezed their way to the back, drawing stares but nothing more as they stood, unable to find any seats.

A player, apparently from Katsura High, was dribbling the ball nervously as the opposition began double-teaming him, trying to stop Katsura High from catching up. The player jumped into the air so he could see the floor and threw an overhead pass to an open player, who briskly shot the three-pointer and scored. 68-66.

Miyagi watched carefully. _Hm, not bad shooting form… Mitsui's seems better, though…_

"All right! Go, Shoji!"

_Shoji…_ Miyagi tried to remember the name, but doubted he could. The clock was already down to 21 seconds. Suddenly, the one called Shoji made a steal and ran the court. Shoji pulled up for a jumper, but it went out.

_That's it… it's over…_ Miyagi thought to himself as Shoji tried to get the offensive rebound, but someone took it from Koen. The Koen High players wound the clock down, and the game was over. Shoji looked upset, but gathered around his teammates as the coach talked about the loss.

"Well, we barely caught anything," Miyagi grumbled. Rukawa yawned, Hiroshi watched blankly, and Sakuragi looked impatient.

"Next time let's actually plan this out," Miyagi sighed as the four players filed back out of the building, disappointed that they had exerted so much energy and money to see but less than one minute of basketball. "But at least we know that Katsura High and Koen are entering the Nationals."

"Daiei and Totoyama have a match tomorrow in Osaka, I think," Hiroshi suggested as the four players walked up to their bikes.

"You guys up for it?" Miyagi asked. The other three players again shrugged, not really giving an answer.

"I'll go," Hiroshi offered.

"Fine, let's go tomorrow," Miyagi announced, as the four players went back on their bikes.

"Let's go see Mt. Fuji!" Sakuragi prodded again, and Miyagi groaned. Miyagi pointed to the mountain.

"There, you see it. Now let's go home."

"What?! Ryo-chin, I wanted to go visit it, not just see it!"

Miyagi shrugged as they began to pedal away. "That's not what you said before."

"Ryo-chin…" Sakuragi growled. "I'm not paying you back for that train ticket!"

"Well, who's going to pay for your ride back?" Miyagi grinned as he took off.

"Don't worry, we'll chip in." Hiroshi tried to calm Sakuragi as Sakuragi began to chase after the point guard, profoundly pissed off. Rukawa sighed, closing his eyes as the four Shohoku players leisurely biked back to the train station, and back to Kanagawa.


	34. Chapter 33

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday.  
  
_

Reviews: Migo- Glad to see you enjoyed the chapter. As for the Rookie of the Year award, it wasn't in the original Slam Dunk manga, so I didn't include it in the fic.

And I don't know if that's the cookie art or not. O.o Thanks anyway, though!

Adjustment- Oh, if you had been here when I first started the story, I was tearing through the place. O.o I wrote around two-three chapters a day, because the spark of inspiration was so bright back then and I had a lot of time on my hands.

Thanks for your review!

Yun Fei- Aw gee, thanks for the flattery. :)

As for your story, it's up to you. You control their fate! :) Don't worry about it too much.

Take it easy, and get better soon!

Mitra1- Did I have a purpose in them writing Mitsui's name on their bodies? Mostly just that whole unity thing, and how Mitsui is with them on the floor even if he isn't really there.

Yeah, Takato needs to stop breaking fans, haha. As for Rukawa with a cell phone, I put that in there because almost everyone has them now, and I felt Rukawa isn't really an exception to that. And Maki makes an appearance in this chapter.

Thanks for your review(s)! 

Mag Wise- Sure, you can call it a review… I think. O.o And it's okay to rant, but I hope my fic. meets your expectations. ;)

Glad to see you enjoyed the first chapter, and thank you for taking the time to read through all the chapters, which is a daunting task.

* * *

**Chapter 33 – Eavesdrop **

"All right! Great work!"

The Daiei High players slapped hands, having run the score up to 72-61, Daiei High's lead with only two minutes left. Sakuragi, Miyagi, Hiroshi, and Rukawa watched from the stands, completely cramped.

"Man, my legs…" Sakuragi complained, standing up to stretch a bit. Rukawa had already fallen asleep, and only Miyagi and Hiroshi were playing close attention to the opposition.

_"No point in worrying," Rukawa had said. "Keep some space in your brain for improvisation."_

_Still, we need to watch them… _Miyagi thought, studying the Daiei High players. Toyotama was nothing compared to last year. There had been another coaching change, probably because the old coach had failed to carry the team farther in the Nationals. Also, there had been a huge turnaround in their lineup… only Itakuta Daijirou, the obnoxious and unattractive point guard, was returning as a starter; the rest had graduated. Miyagi had watched Itakuta play great for Toyotama (although he hated to admit it), scoring about half of the team's total points. Although Miyagi had almost gotten into a fistfight with the guy, Miyagi had to admit that Itakuta was an outstanding offensive player.

_But he lacks in both defense and strong passing_, Miyagi noted, with a bit of satisfaction. Offense was important for a point guard, but if he couldn't set up his teammates…

"Score, damnit!" Itakuta called, passing to Teruo. Okawa Teruo was that former friend of Aida Hikoichi, and was now a second year. The Shohoku players, though, didn't know who Teruo was and had written him off as a mediocre basketball player.

Which he was. And so was the rest of the Toyotama team, who still stuck to that theory of run and gun and trying to score as many points as possible. 

_That won't work,_ Miyagi thought. It hadn't worked for Shohoku before Sakuragi had returned, and it wouldn't work here—especially since the new Toyotama team was no offensive juggernaut. Now that Sakuragi had rejoined the team and Hiroshi had shown up, Shohoku was playing great defense and had plenty of offensive power to back that up.

"'Offense wins games, but defense wins championships.'"

Miyagi turned his head to Hiroshi, who had just spoken up. Hiroshi looked at his senior.

"Isn't that right, captain? I heard that from somewhere."

Miyagi smiled. "You're right, Hiroshi. But you still need both."

"Of course," Hiroshi agreed, turning back to the game. "But this Toyotama is only relying on the former."

"Crap!" Itakuta howled, as a player from Daiei High just stole the ball. He ran down the court, then threw a no-look pass to a nearby teammate who scored easily. 74-61.

_That #4… gotta watch out for him,_ Miyagi noted.

"He plays like Sendoh."

"Whoa! Holy crap, don't scare me like that!" Miyagi turned to the now awakened Rukawa, who had shocked Miyagi from his thoughts. Rukawa stared blankly at the scoreboard, then turned back to the game.

"We might as well get going soon," Miyagi sighed, standing up. "The victor has been decided, anyway."  
  
The other three Shohoku starters also stood, and followed their captain out of the gym. Another figure was standing there, writing feverishly in a notebook.

Sakuragi was the first to greet him. "Hey, Hikoichi!"

Hikoichi turned. "Ah, Sakuragi!"  
  
The Shohoku players walked up to Hikoichi. "Interesting to see you in Osaka," Miyagi said, his sunglasses on and hands deep in his pockets.

Hikoichi closed his notebook. "Same to you guys. Scouting out the opposition?"

"They're no match for this Tensai," Sakuragi declared, waving his hand dismissively.

"Who's that #4 in there?" Miyagi asked Hikoichi, knowing that Hikoichi had a wealth of information.

"For who? Daiei?"  
  
Miyagi nodded.

"Tsuchiya," Hikoichi answered without hesitation. "He was the captain of Daiei since his second year, and now that this is his final year, he's determined to lead them to the Finals. I saw him play last year, when I came to see a friend play."

"Oh? You have a friend on Daiei?" Miyagi asked, looking over his sunglasses.

"No, Toyotama… but he's not really my friend anymore, and let's not talk about that," Hikoichi said darkly, remembering how arrogant and disrespectful Teruo was to him.

"Uh… okay." The Shohoku players sweatdropped, now that Hikoichi was imagining the ways to obliterate Teruo.

"Anyway, we're going to get going," Miyagi said, beginning to walk off. "We'll see you guys at the Inter-High tournament. Work hard."

"Right, thank you!" Hikoichi waved as the Shohoku players took off to catch their train.

"Tsuchiya…" Miyagi muttered. "That guy could be dangerous…"

And as the Shohoku players headed for the station, Daiei High beat Toyotama, 76-63. Both teams, however, would be representing Osaka in the Inter-High matches.

* * *

"Kiyota?! Captain?!" 

"That's right," Jin nodded, facing the Kainan University players. They were all gathered in the school's gym, as Jin bid his farewell to the team. The Shohoku match was his last basketball game as a high school student.

"Are you sure about this?" Takeshi smiled jokingly. "Kiyota might bring Kainan's reputation down even more."

"What the hell, Takeshi?!" Kiyota chased after the point guard, prepared to maim him. "I'll lead us back to the Nationals, no problem!"

Jin smiled faintly. He felt he had made the right choice; Kiyota was at times immature and overly hyperactive, that was true. But Kiyota's desire to win, to push himself and his teammates, and his pride for Kainan's history of winning was all that was needed for Jin to make his selection.

Takeshi, in merely a day, had memorized all the players' names, much to Jin's surprise. Takeshi was also much more laid back, although he still had that twinge of arrogance that probably could never be fully eliminated. Still, Jin was glad to see Takeshi heading down the right road as a point guard, and Jin felt confident that maybe Kainan could bounce back from their loss and enter the Nationals again next year.

"Thank you all for letting me act as captain," Jin said, looking down at the floor. Kiyota stopped chasing Takeshi, and the two faced their senior.

"It's been a great year. No… every year, as a player for Kainan, has been great. I'll miss all of you, and I'll miss all the matches, the scrimmages, everything… I'll miss all of that. Please, next year, bring Kainan back to the Inter-Highs and show them that this year was just a fluke in Kainan's history." Jin tilted his head back up, his eyes a bit teary. "I'm sorry that I couldn't lead you guys to the Nationals."  
  
Takeshi sighed. "Captain, it wasn't your fault, and it really wasn't a fluke. Just think of it as a rebuilding period for Kainan. No team can win all the time."

"Right! And next year, we're going to win for sure!" Kiyota yelled, his fist in the air. The other Kainan players cheered.

Jin chuckled, brushing his eyes quickly. "I knew I could trust you guys. I can retire with ease, knowing that you guys are here to lead Kainan. Thank you all, again."  
  
Kiyota nodded understandably, and walked up to Jin, shaking his hand firmly. "Jin, you just watch. I'll lead us back to the top. Be sure to come and see us."

"Ah. Sure."

Jin stepped out of the gym, feeling he had said enough.

"Hey."

Jin turned to the new voice, without much surprise.

"Hey."

Maki faced Jin, leaning against the wall and arms crossed over his broad chest. "You said goodbye?"  
  
Jin smiled at his senior. "Not really goodbye. I'll be seeing them play."

"That's good."

A silence settled between the two.

Maki: the star point guard, once said to be the best in Kanagawa. Winner of the MVP award, and known to strike fear in the opposition's heart.

Jin: the outstanding shooter, with among the silkiest touches in Kanagawa. One of the leading scorer's in the division, but was unable to lead the team to the Nationals.

The former teammates stood there, and aside from some yelling in the gym, it was quiet. Jin was the first to break the silence.

"Maki-senpai, I'm sorry. About the match, I—"

"Stop."

Maki straightened, his hands now in the pockets of his typical business-like outfit. "I saw the match, you know. You tried your best."  
  
Jin nodded. "Yeah, but it wasn't enough."  
  
Maki sighed. "Shohoku is playing very well, and Ryonan had nothing to lose."

Again, Jin nodded.

"Anyway, I plan on watching Shohoku and Ryonan play. Although Kainan lost, there's no reason for me not to support our Kanagawa representatives. You should come too," Maki added as he walked up to Jin, looking as if he was to head off soon.

"You're planning on going to the same college as me, right?"  
  
Jin looked at Maki in surprise, but grinned. "Yeah. Are you on the college's basketball team?"  
  
Maki smiled. "Of course. I'll be glad to see you there." Maki stuck his hand out, and Jin shook it.

"I'll see you there then, senpai."

Maki nodded, and walked off, brushing by Jin. And after a while, Jin left in the opposite direction, knowing that he would see Maki again very soon.

_Shohoku… let's see how far you guys can go in the Inter-High matches this year!_

* * *

"No way. You must be kidding!"  
  
Sakuragi looked at the Sakuragi Army in awe. It was the next day in school, but something big was about to happen. 

Quite big.

Youhei was holding a bouquet of flowers, and Takamiya held a relatively fancy dress jacket in one chubby hand. Amazingly, the jacket just about Sakuragi's size, except slightly smaller.

Youhei looked at Sakuragi with utmost seriousness. "Hanamachi, you have to ask Haruko out. It's mid-summer, you just beat Kainan two days ago, it's a great time to confess! Besides, you've done it so many times to so many girls, it should be a breeze."  
  
Youhei pushed the flowers into Sakuragi's hands while Takamiya tried to sneak the jacket up on the tall redhead. Sakuragi shook off the pudgy member of the Sakuragi Army before the jacket could be put on.

"Damnit, stop! Now's not the time!" Sakuragi growled.

Youhei sighed. "Then when is the time? Your last year in high school? You need to take advantage of the time you have… you don't even know if you can get into the same college as Haruko! I personally can't see a better time to ask her out than now. Plus, it's almost the Tanabata Star Festival…"

It was July 5th, with the Inter-High matches to happen on August 2nd, same as last year.

Sakuragi chuckled. "You believe in that sort of stuff, Youhei?"  
  
Youhei shrugged absently. Sakuragi looked down at the flowers in his hands.

_Haruko-san…_ Sakuragi thought, a blush appearing on his cheeks at just the thought of the girl he liked.

Youhei looked at the Army's leader anxiously. There was more to this than what Sakuragi might have thought…

* * *

_"What? Haruko is going to ask Rukawa out?" Youhei looked at Noma and Ookusu in wonder._

_Noma nodded frantically, his moustache hairs swaying a bit. "From what we hear, yes! Matsui and Fujii were talking to Haruko, and apparently Haruko is thinking of confessing to Rukawa by the end of summer!"  
  
Youhei placed his head in his palms. "Oh, crap… and Hanamachi hasn't even confessed yet… he won't stand a chance!"_

_"Right… so Hanamachi has to get to her heart first!" Ookusu reasoned. _

_"We told Matsui and Fujii to stall Haruko for a while, but…" Noma trailed off. Haruko's friends got along relatively well with the Sakuragi Army after realizing that they weren't as scary as the rumors turned them out to be, but the two groups still didn't interact very often in school.  
_  
It must have taken Noma and Ookusu lots of convincing… but still… damn… why'd it have to be so soon? _Youhei thought. Youhei had seen his best friend rejected so many times, and yes, the Sakuragi Army joked about his rejections all the time… but all of them knew how much Sakuragi liked Haruko, and how much more seriously he liked her than his previous crushes. Not only that, but Sakuragi has been with Haruko for longer than any of the other girls he had crushes on, and so Sakuragi had only grown fonder of her, despite Haruko not realizing Sakuragi's adoration for her. Setting up for a bigger fall, so to speak._

Sakuragi would be devastated… _Youhei clenched his teeth._

_"Right. We have to think of a plan, now. The Sakuragi Army is on it!"_

_And so they had decided that Sakuragi has to confess to Haruko first. If Haruko had any feelings for Sakuragi, then it was more likely she would return it for someone she had a chance with than a dream guy._

_Or so the Sakuragi Army hoped._

_"Hiroshi!"_

_"Hm?" Hiroshi turned, a bag slung casually over his shoulder. "Oh, you guys are Sakuragi's friends, right?"_

_The Sakuragi Army ran up to the lanky forward in the school hallways between classes and quickly explained everything, especially emphasizing how this had to be "top secret."  
  
Hiroshi nodded. "Oh, that Haruko girl? You mean that other manageress?"  
  
_

_"Yeah, her," Youhei confirmed. "So do you have any sort of dress shirt we can get for Hanamachi?"_

_Hiroshi scratched the back of his head. "Well, yeah… I think I have a jacket or something like that lying around that would fit the occasion. Some of the players and I are going out to see the Toyotama match after practice today, so swing on over by my apartment around 8." Hiroshi wrote his address on the back of a water bottle that Takamiya had around with him, since none of the Sakuragi Army members had paper or anything that had to do with actual schoolwork.  
  
The Sakuragi Army had shown up at Hiroshi's apartment, and Hiroshi had given them the jacket. Hiroshi was about the same height as Sakuragi, so the sizes worked out pretty well, although not perfectly. They had walked away from Hiroshi's apartment after their thanks, and quickly thought over the matter._

_"What else do you usually have for a confession?"  
  
_

_"Hm…" The Sakuragi Army all stroked their chins in thought._

_"Flowers should do nicely," Noma suggested. "Who has money?"  
  
No one raised their hand._

_  
Youhei sighed, and turned back to Hiroshi's apartment, knocking again._

_"Can we borrow some money? For flowers."_

_Hiroshi laughed. "Wow, you guys are going all out for your friend. That's nice to see."  
  
_

_"We'll pay you back!" Youhei promised as Hiroshi took out his wallet and handed some money to Youhei. Hiroshi nodded._

_"I know you will. You should probably buy the flowers fresh, so don't do it tonight. Are you guys making Sakuragi confess tomorrow? If so, buy them tomorrow."_

_Youhei patted Hiroshi on the shoulder. "Thank you. The Sakuragi Army is in your debt."  
  
Hiroshi smiled, and the Sakuragi Army had walked off into the night, trying to save their leader's romantic life._

* * *

And now, the only thing that remained was for Sakuragi to confess. Sakuragi mulled over it for a while, the flowers still in hand. The Sakuragi Army watched him with anticipation. 

"I guess… you guys are right…" Sakuragi finally answered. Youhei tried to look casual as he nodded.

"Okay then. After you," Youhei swept his hand out, and Sakuragi walked ahead of the Sakuragi Army, heading for Haruko's classroom.

"What should I do about the jacket?" Noma whispered to Youhei, as he had taken it from Takamiya.

"Forget it, forget it," Youhei waved him off. "It's going to be hard enough for Hanamachi as it is."

"I have the confetti and horns, just in case," Takamiya whispered, resulting in a dirty look from Youhei.

"We have to take this confession seriously. Hanamachi likes Haruko a lot."

"Still, it's tradition," Takamiya asserted, as Sakuragi finally reached the outside of Haruko's classroom. Sakuragi took a deep breath, and looked over at the Sakuragi Army, who didn't turn the corner to Haruko's classroom, thus giving Sakuragi some privacy. Youhei gave Sakuragi a thumbs-up, and Sakuragi grinned as he took a step towards the door.

"Are you sure, Haruko?"  
  
Sakuragi heard one of Haruko's friend's voices from inside the classroom. Sakuragi peeked through the slit in the door, flowers in his left hand.

"Yes. I'm going to confess to Rukawa-kun before Shohoku goes off for the Inter-High matches."  
  
Sakuragi blinked hard in disbelief.

"You don't want to affect Rukawa before the matches though, do you?" Matsui's voice, sounding a bit desperate.

"Right! Rukawa needs to focus. And with that Brigade of his always cheering for him, you know…" Fujii this time.

"Why? What's wrong with me confessing? It took me a lot of time to decide on this, you know!" Haruko was already a deep crimson from talking about the matter. Embarrassment. "Besides, the chances of him returning my feelings are small, I know… but I have to try!"

The flowers slipped from Sakuragi's hands and landed on the floor. Quietly— but enough of a rustling to draw the attention of the girls inside the classroom.

"Is someone there?" Matsui asked, looking over Haruko's shoulder. As soon as she saw some flowers poking through the slit of the door and a tall figure's shadow, Matsui quickly stepped in front, blocking Haruko's vision.

"Oh, that's right! Want to go out for something to drink later?" Matsui said in a loud voice. Haruko looked at Matsui oddly.

"Um, sure…"  
  
Meanwhile, Sakuragi had turned and was leaning against the wall, eyes closed in contemplation and head tilted a bit upwards.  
  
Sakuragi wasn't a complete idiot. He knew that Haruko had a crush on Rukawa, especially since Haruko herself had told Sakuragi. A one-sided love, she had said, not knowing that Sakuragi was nursing the same feelings for her.

The time off from Shohoku, all that time spent at the doctor's… Sakuragi had thought about Haruko a lot. As an orphan, Sakuragi had no one to really love, and aside from the Sakuragi Army's visits to him during therapy, the only other thing Sakuragi looked forward to was Haruko's letters.

Maybe it was cruel, but Haruko didn't know. Each letter gave Sakuragi hope that she cared, and cared for him romantically. Sakuragi had hoped that Haruko would forget the fox, and turn her eyes towards him. If not that, then at least recognize Sakuragi liked her.

Apparently it was too much to hope for.

Sakuragi rested the side of his fist against his forehead. _Haruko…_

_"Are you a basketball player?"  
  
_

_"Of course! I'm a sportsman!"_

_"Do you love basketball?"_

_"I love it very much! This time… I'm definitely not lying!"_

_"For… for Haruko-chan's sake! We definitely won't lose!"_

_"Good luck, Sakuragi-kun!"  
  
_

_"Even Tensais make mistakes!"_

_"Haruko…"_

"Hanamachi? You okay?" Youhei asked his leader worriedly in a stage whisper.

Sakuragi didn't offer his best friend a reply. Instead, he took off, running down the hallways at full speed, not caring who heard him, not caring that he was missing basketball practice… not caring about anything, at that moment.

And the flowers laid there, on the floor, as unrecognized by Haruko as Sakuragi's feelings.


	35. Chapter 34

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews:

Firstly, I want to thank all you guys for reviewing. I'd have to say I think the last chapter was like… a record for me in terms of reviews, and really, it was a pleasure to get so many. I thank you all for taking the time to read the story.

Secondly, chapters are going to be taking longer to write because school is starting to give me a major beat down. I apologize for that.

Yun Fei- Yeah, Kiyota is still arrogant and that's just the way he is; like Sakuragi, the two guys have that superiority complex somewhere in their brain that can't be rid of. ;)

Thanks for reviewing.

Kenjiro Akisama- Hey, nice to hear from you again.

There is indeed going to be a pretty long break from basketball, considering that the players have a month off before the Inter-Highs. I thought Inoue didn't elaborate enough on what they did during their month off (maybe not much), so I felt I might as well take the opportunity to use that time and develop the characters more.

The triangle between Sakuragi, Rukawa, and Haruko is likely to be resolved; I can guarantee it… sort of. ;) I have an idea of what I plan to do, so we'll just have to see how it goes.

Sugar-induced chapters? Eh… I'm not sure I can write stuff like that well, but I might give it a shot. But don't lower your sugar intake, because you aren't going to get much from the story. ;)

Yeah, I always feel like smacking Haruko because it's so obvious how much Sakuragi likes her. Still, that's just the way she is, and her naivety is part of her character. The Ryota-Ayako thing should be finished up with by the end of my story (I hope), because the two are graduating and I feel that their relationship needs to be resolved.

Thanks for giving me another great review, and thanks for reading.

Adjustment- Neh… I dropped off lately, so that compensates for my speedy writing from before. ;) Thanks for reviewing.

Demi-Devil-Writer- Rest assured, I will deal with the Ryota-Ayako relationship when the time is right. Thanks for the review.

Migo- Yeah, I figured since the Toyotama starting lineup was almost all seniors, and they have so much trouble when it comes to coaches, that there will be too little chemistry for the team to be all that great this year. Daiei is portrayed as being good simply because Inoue didn't reveal much about them, so I just made an assumption that they were still going strong considering they beat the stuffing out of Toyotama the year before.

Oh well, don't worry about the cookie art. O.o Thanks for the review.

Mitra1- Argh, my bad about the cell phone thing. Thanks for pointing it out. I'm not sure I'll change it, though…

The issue between Rukawa, Sakuragi, and Haruko will develop on its own. ;) And yes, Mitsui is going to play in the summer IH matches… but it will be his last one, since he is going to graduate after that summer. Technically, he's a fourth year in Shohoku; I just let him get held back as to keep him in the story, as I mentioned in my prologue.

And yes, the Rukawa and Sakuragi fight over captain will be done sometime later. :) Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Emberlion- Thank you for both reviews, I really appreciate it.

Haha, you liked the guy from Toyotama? I thought he was cool when he learned his lesson about hitting the other players, but during the game I was just -.-. 

Mitsui is indeed missing out on most of the scouting and bonding sessions, but it's his fault for hurting his leg. Or not. Whatever. ;)

I agree that the Sakuragi Army cares for Sakuragi more than they let on, despite their teasing. I'm not sure I can write the lovey-dovey stuff well, so I'm sorry… but I'll try! And I'm happy to see you like the chapters.

Do continue your fic., as your writing really is becoming great. :) Update soon! 

Lonehamster- Thanks for your compliments. Your analysis of Sakuragi is spot on, I think, and I agree with it. Your views about their relationships and their lack of experience in them also rings true, and I think you have a really good view of everything going on in Slam Dunk.

I'll try to handle the storyline appropriately. Again, thank you for reviewing and I hope to hear from you in the future.

Shadowcleaner- Haha, it's okay. I understand how busy school gets. -.-

Eep! Sorry about doing that to Hanamachi… but it had to be done, sooner or later. I figured that doing it now will give me more flexibility with the storyline instead of focusing just on basketball, because Slam Dunk was never just about that but also about the characters.

Thank you for the compliment about the chapter, but as for something nice… eh, we'll just have to see how that goes.

Nigel- Gee, thanks. I'm always happy to have more fans. And having another baller around doesn't hurt. :)

You write too? Cool. I wouldn't mind reading some of your works, unless you're keeping them under wraps for the time being. ;)

Thanks for reviewing.

Scream Out Loud- Ugh. I'm not a Kevin Garnett fan, to tell you the truth. As I said, I'm trying to let Hiroshi evolve into his own character... but I can see where you're coming from, and it's interesting you see that in Hiroshi.

Thanks for reviewing and reading my story for the umpteenth time. ;) 

Mak- Yeah, poor Sakuragi. And I will do some Ryo-Aya in the future, but I'm not sure when. Thanks for reviewing, man.

Plasmolysed Cell Membrane- Hi there. Nice to meet you, and thank you for your compliments.

* * *

**Chapter 34 – Compromise**

"Where the hell is Hanamachi?"  
  
Miyagi stood impatiently as the players warmed up for practice. Miyagi planned to give the players light practices for a while, as a means to recover from the exhaustion of playing all the games for the season.  
  
Besides, there was someone else that needed some time to recuperate.

"Go, captain," Mitsui jeered sarcastically from the sidelines, raising his arm half-heartedly. Miyagi sighed.

"Hey, injured people, keep it down," Miyagi smiled, and Mitsui quieted, a grin on his face.

Mitsui relaxed, crutches at his side. Mitsui planned to start practicing by next week, and for now was just taking it easy. Still, he couldn't wait to get back to playing… Mitsui felt that there was still so much to do.

Haruko looked worriedly around. "Is Sakuragi-kun sick?"

Ayako also wondered where the redhead was. _Sakuragi wouldn't ditch practice without a good reason…_

"Well, we can't really wait for him," Miyagi shrugged. "All right guys, let's do some wind sprints!"  
  
Everyone groaned, except for Rukawa and Hiroshi. Hiroshi had a contemplative look on his face as everyone began practice.

* * *

"Hanamachi? Where are you?"  
  
The Sakuragi Army wandered around town, looking for their leader. They had tried the pachinko parlors, arcades, parks, Sakuragi's apartment, basketball courts, a string of shops… all to no avail. It was as if Sakuragi had disappeared completely.

Youhei gripped the bouquet of flowers tightly. _Hanamachi… what happened?_  
  
Noma sighed, Hiroshi's jacket draped casually over his right shoulder. "No good. The sun's setting already, too."  
  
Darkness was slowly creeping up, and visibility was already slackening. The streetlights began to turn on, illuminating the vicinity.

"Should we go home?" Takamiya asked.

Youhei looked at his watch. "Let's look for a bit longer."  
  
The Sakuragi Army nodded and took off again, looking for the tall redhead.

* * *

Night. It was nighttime.

Sakuragi Hanamachi looked up at the dark sky. The moon was already shining beautifully, giving off an eerie but comfortable light.

But it wasn't enough. Sakuragi wanted more light. Sakuragi didn't want to be alone, because at that moment he felt so unbelievably abandoned in the world, a feeling he hadn't had since his father died that fateful day at the front door. The day that Sakuragi had become an orphan.

Sakuragi wandered around, walking into town. The lights here were bright. Artificial, but so bright that it made Sakuragi feel just a little less lonely. There were so many people here too; young people, old people, working people.

Sakuragi accidentally bumped into someone.

"Hey! Hey, redhead!"  
  
Sakuragi kept walking, ignoring the voice. A hand gripped his shoulder roughly.

"You deaf, redhead?"  
  
Sakuragi looked at the person. An idiot. Probably someone Sakuragi would have beat up in the past, and considering Sakuragi towered over him, Sakuragi was vaguely amused the guy was even trying to pick on him.

"That does it, you little shit. Come with me."  
  
Sakuragi didn't struggle as the guy dragged him into a dark alleyway.

* * *

Sakuragi lay crumpled against the wall.

Pain… there was pain all over his body. Sakuragi didn't mind. Sakuragi knew he could have fought back, and beaten up the guy easily. Sakuragi wasn't even_ too _hurt; after all, he had incredible stamina and a high pain threshold. Still, the wounds were enough to sting.

It was okay. Sakuragi just wanted to feel the sensation of physical pain rather than the mental pain of rejection. Even here, with the guy trying to beat Sakuragi up, Sakuragi felt a little less alone than before.

"You're no fun even to beat up," the guy scoffed. He spit at Sakuragi's direction, missing the redhead just barely. "Go drown yourself, you damn wuss."  
  
The guy sauntered off for a few steps before he was shoved back onto the floor, landing right on his own phlegm in a move of poetic justice. Sakuragi looked up a bit.

_Hiro… _

Hiroshi stood there, a dark look on his face. His lanky figure and long arms looked menacing at nighttime. By his feet was a plastic bag, and Sakuragi realized it was groceries. Apparently Hiroshi had just stumbled across the two…

…Or not. Sakuragi squinted, and behind Hiroshi stood the Sakuragi Army, looking just as threatening.

"Hey, why are you leaving?" Hiroshi glanced at Sakuragi, judging his condition.

The guy pushed himself back up, wincing a bit. "Who the hell do you think you are?!" 

Hiroshi shrugged absently. "I don't think I'm anyone special. But the guys behind me, you see… you really made them angry."

Youhei stepped in front of the tall basketball player. "The Sakuragi Army doesn't take the assault on a member lightly."  
  
The other punk looked at the five guys standing before him. In worry.

"What? A five on one?"

"No, we haven't sunk to that level yet," Ookusu said, stepping forward. Ookusu was using the same words he had said right before the Sakuragi Army almost got into a fight with Ryota Miyagi last year. "Come on. One on one, punk."

The Sakuragi Army marched ahead, approaching their victim. Youhei nodded at Hiroshi.

"Take care of Hanamachi. We'll show up at your apartment soon."

"Gotcha."  
  
Youhei strolled up to the other Sakuragi Army members, just as Ookusu got ready to get in a fistfight with the other guy. And for once, Hiroshi didn't try and stop the fight.

Hiroshi walked over to Sakuragi and kneeled. "Hey, you okay? Come on, let's get to my apartment."

Sakuragi turned his head away. "No, Hiro."  
  
Hiroshi sighed, picking up the tall redhead and supporting him as the two headed off. "No more arguing, senpai."

* * *

"Man, how'd you get yourself into this mess?"  
  
Hiroshi wasn't much of a physician, so all the two had really done was wash Sakuragi's wounds. Sakuragi had refused bandages, for the time being. The two were in Hiroshi's incredibly small apartment, and were sitting on the floor. Hiroshi's apartment was almost barren, with a television in one corner of the room and a stack of books in the other… and nothing else. Not even a table.

Sakuragi looked at the other basketball player, silent. Hiroshi looked at Sakuragi seriously and said one word.

"Haruko."

It wasn't a question, and Sakuragi recognized that. Sakuragi nodded slightly.

Hiroshi sighed. "What happened? Did she reject you?"  
  
Sakuragi looked down at the floor. "Yes… and no."

"Oh? Do tell." Hiroshi stood up, walking over to a kettle of water that had just begun to boil in the cramped kitchen, which was right in front of the door to his apartment.

"I overheard her. She was thinking of asking out Rukawa."

Hiroshi nodded understandably. "Ah. Lots of girls have their eyes out for that guy." Hiroshi reached into the plastic bag and pulled out six bowls of instant noodles, deftly pulling out the flavor packets and pouring hot water into all the bowls, then covering the tops with chopsticks.

"And so… after I heard that, I left. I went around Kanagawa a bit, then I went to town and some guy just wanted to pick a fight with me. That's it; you know the rest."  
  
Sakuragi's voice didn't sound particularly playful or energetic as he spoke, for obvious reasons.

Hiroshi brought over one of the instant noodles to Sakuragi. "Hungry?"

"Thank you." Sakuragi took the hot noodles and lifted the top back up as Hiroshi also took a seat. However, as soon as Hiroshi did, the doorbell rang.

"Probably them," Hiroshi guessed, standing back up and going over to the door. Sure enough, there stood the rest of the Sakuragi Army.

"Hey," Youhei greeted Hiroshi as Hiroshi stepped back, letting them into the apartment. Ookusu looked a bit dirty, had some scrapes, and one side of his cheek was red; but otherwise he looked okay. Hiroshi didn't pursue the details of the fight, but had a pretty good idea of how it went.

"Food!" Takamiya cried, racing over to the instant noodles and digging in before Hiroshi could even shut the door. Hiroshi chuckled.

"Yeah, go ahead and eat up that stuff. It's not much… but it's nice to have some company."

The Sakuragi Army all sat around, and the room quickly became so overcrowded that Hiroshi had to stand near the doorway. Hiroshi quickly told the Sakuragi Army what Sakuragi had told him as they slurped down the noodles.

"You didn't even ask her out?!" Noma demanded as he began drinking the soup.

"Would it have helped?" Sakuragi retorted, giving away a bit of his disappointment.

"Well…" Hiroshi interjected, scratching his head. "But it wouldn't have hurt, would it?"

That drew a silence from all the members, and everyone quietly ate. Youhei finally sighed.

"Hanamachi, I have to confess that we knew about this," Youhei said, dropping the chopsticks into the bowl. "That's why we tried to make you confess earlier… although I can say that even if we hadn't known, it would have been a good idea for you to tell Haruko about your feelings anyway. You are going to have to tell her sometime, or else I don't think the matter can really be dropped. At least see what Haruko really thinks about you."  
  
Sakuragi sat, staring into his noodles thoughtfully. Youhei sighed again.

"All right, thanks Hiroshi," Youhei stood. "We'll take Hanamachi home."

"Right," Hiroshi said, moving away from the door. "And no need to thank me."  
  
The Sakuragi Army, along with its leader, walked back out into the night. Hiroshi stood at the doorway until he couldn't see their figures anymore.

* * *

"Please! Please give them another chance!"  
  
Miyagi and Hiroshi were enthusiastically bowing before the teacher, trying their best to convince him.

_I can't believe this is happening again…_ Miyagi thought unhappily as the two continued to plead their case. Behind the two stood Sakuragi, Rukawa, and Mitsui.

Again, exams had come and gone. And again, most of the basketball team's starters had failed more than four subjects. Miyagi, surprisingly, had only failed one subject mostly because he was now captain and felt he had to do his duty and set an example (and secretly, he wanted to impress Ayako). Hiroshi, on the other hand, was the real surprise… as he had passed all the subjects; even though it was rumored he slept almost as much as Rukawa.

Still, the two weren't enough. Mitsui had failed five subjects, Rukawa six, and Sakuragi the same as last year: seven.

"Please give them another chance!" Hiroshi repeated, bowing down to his knees. "Please!"

Miyagi grabbed Sakuragi and Mitsui by their heads, forcing them to bow with him despite the fact that Mitsui was still on crutches. Rukawa got the message and absentmindedly bowed along with the other basketball starters.

"Sensei, please give us one more chance!"

The teacher sighed. "Fine. I will issue you three new exams tomorrow."  
  
Hiroshi and Miyagi burst into a grin. "Thank you! Thank you, Sensei!"

As soon as the basketball players stepped out of the office, Miyagi made a point to kick the three who failed in the rear.

"Dumbasses! We are going to bust our asses tonight studying this stuff! And don't think you can get out of it!"  
  
Hiroshi looked at Sakuragi out of the corner of his eye, bickering with the Sakuragi Army members about his failure. _Sakuragi acts like nothing happened yesterday… how strange…_

Sakuragi burst into laughter, a bandage on the side of his face. "Don't worry! This Tensai will definitely pass the re-exam!"  
  
Miyagi kicked Sakuragi again. "Why didn't you just pass the first time, then?! You could have saved me some trouble!"

"Aya-chan!" Miyagi hailed Ayako, who was just passing by. Miyagi quickly explained the situation, and Ayako sighed loudly.

"You guys are such dummies," Ayako frowned. "All right, I can help with the tutoring tonight. Who's house is it going to be at?"  
  
Everyone was speechless.

"Let's go to Rukawa's house," Mitsui suggested, drawing a surprised look from Rukawa.

"Rukawa? Do you mind?" Miyagi asked. Rukawa shrugged.

"It's your choice."

"Fine, meet at Rukawa's house after seven, then," Miyagi replied. "We need your address, though…"  
  
Rukawa announced his address to the other players, after the Sakuragi Army walked off to make sure none of the Rukawa Brigade members were listening. Rukawa didn't really care about—or even acknowldge— his fans, but stalkers…

"Okay, see you guys there," Ayako waved. The other basketball members went off on their separate ways too, with Sakuragi walking off with the Army.

* * *

"Damn fox," Sakuragi muttered, slowly pedaling his bike around the neighborhood. Sakuragi was surprised, though… he had always considering Rukawa to be a really rich kid, but although the neighborhood they were in was for those with stable incomes, it was by no means a mansion or whatever.

Sakuragi looked down on the back of the candy wrapper he had written Rukawa's address on, then looked back up. The house he was standing in front of was pretty nice-looking; not wealthy or particularly huge, but…

Comfortable. That's the word Sakuragi was looking for. Nothing extravagant… but comfortable. 

Sakuragi pulled his bike up to the doorsteps, where most of the other bikes had been parked. Sakuragi timidly knocked, and a woman opened the door.

"Oh, are you here to study too?"  
  
Sakuragi was struck at how pretty the lady was, although she was pushing her forties. Dark hair cascaded down a sharp face, with warm, kind eyes looking carefully at the tall redhead. "Yes, ma'am…"

"Please," the lady stepped aside while Sakuragi quickly kicked off his sneakers as he walked in.

"Excuse me," Sakuragi said as he stepped in, trying to remember all his manners when entering another person's house as a guest. There were no maids or servants, which was what Sakuragi was expecting from all the rumors; it was just another normal house, maybe with a few nice material luxuries and nothing more.

"Hey, Hanamachi! Late as always," Miyagi grumbled as Sakuragi walked into the room. Miyagi, Ayako, and Hiroshi were sitting on one side of a table and Rukawa and Mitsui were facing them as they received one on one tutoring. Hiroshi was tutoring Rukawa, Miyagi was tutoring Mitsui, and so…

"Take a seat, Sakuragi," Ayako offered as the redhead sat down. The lady that had opened the door walked up to the group.

"All your friends are here, Kaede?" Sakuragi finally made the connection—the lady was Rukawa's mother.

Rukawa just nodded.

"Oh, I'm glad to see you still have so many friends!" Rukawa's mother smiled, tiny wrinkles appearing at the corner of her eyes. "You haven't brought any of your friends over since middle school, and I was getting worried. You really need to learn to get along with your friends more."

"Right, mom," Rukawa muttered embarrassingly, his head down.

"Well, I'll stop bothering you guys," Rukawa's mother turned. "If your friends plan to sleep over, be sure to get some blankets for them." Rukawa's mother disappeared upstairs, and as soon as she was out of earshot, Miyagi grinned.

"Friends?" Miyagi prodded Rukawa. "Does she even know that we're all on the basketball team?"

"Fox, treat your mother better!" Sakuragi punched Rukawa on the shoulder. "She really cares about you!"

"I don't need you to tell me that, dou ahou," Rukawa countered. Ayako smacked both of them in quick succession with the paper fan she always brought along.

"Start studying! I don't want to stay too late!"

The Honor Student Army began drilling the Red Mark Army, bombarding them with equations, formulas, and problems until the Red Mark Army were exhausted and dizzy.

"Man, I don't think my brain can fit anymore," Mitsui sighed, pushing the makeshift test he just took back towards Miyagi to correct.

"Where's your dad, fox?" Sakuragi asked out of curiosity, scribbling on the test Ayako had for him.

Rukawa was already getting groggy. "Tokyo." Rukawa didn't elaborate, and no one else bothered to push the matter.

"Not too bad," Hiroshi said to the tired Rukawa, showing Rukawa the corrected test. "You made a few common mistakes on these physics problems, though. Don't forget to change mass to weight on this, here…"

Sakuragi handed his test over to Ayako. Ayako yawned as she slowly went over the problems. The clock in the room already read 12:15 A.M.

"Man, Mitsui, what the heck is this?" Miyagi showed Mitsui a problem. "You didn't even try it! Don't you remember the equation for a simple pendulum?"

"No," Mitsui shrugged, crutches leaning against his chair. The group kept going, and the clock kept ticking away the night. 1:20. 2:12. 2:31.

"All right, that's it," Miyagi leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. "My brain hurts."

"_Your_ brain hurts?" Mitsui shot back after he finished yawning. "I can't remember all these formulas!"

"You guys are all doing well," Hiroshi complimented his seniors timidly. "If you guys don't make avoidable mistakes it shouldn't be a problem to pass tomorrow, so we might as well all get some sleep."

Ayako was already asleep on the table, her curls dancing down her delicate face. Miyagi felt his heartbeat speed up a bit when he saw her asleep, and reluctantly switched his vision back to Hiroshi.

"You're right, Hiroshi," Miyagi sighed. "Might as well get some sleep. There's no way we can make it home at this hour."

"I, Sakuragi, the re-exam terminator, don't need any sleep!" Sakuragi laughed, resulting in a smack on the head from the half-asleep Rukawa.

"Dou ahou, keep your voice down. Don't wake up my mother," Rukawa muttered. Sakuragi looked at Rukawa with interest as he rubbed his welt.

"Where are the blankets, Rukawa?" Miyagi stood, stretching a bit. "We'll just crash on your couch. No need to wake Aya-chan up."

Rukawa stood, and stretched a bit. "I'll get them. There are bigger couches in the living room, so sleep there," Rukawa suggested as he went upstairs. Mitsui labored over to one couch and collapsed, leaving his crutches on the floor. Hiroshi stretched his lanky body out on the floor, leaving the other couch for Miyagi.

"Thanks, Hiroshi," Miyagi said as he sat down. "Are you sure you won't be uncomfortable?"

"It's okay," Hiroshi assured. "I sleep on the floor in my apartment, anyway."

Rukawa walked back downstairs, blankets in hand. Rukawa quickly passed them out to his teammates, his eyes already losing focus due to fatigue.

"Thanks," Mitsui muttered as Rukawa tossed a blanket in his direction. The other players all said their thanks to Rukawa as they prepared to rest up.

"Be sure to take care of Aya-chan," Miyagi mumbled as he began to drift off. Rukawa didn't answer the point guard as he walked back into the room the team had been studying in, carefully placing a blanket over the sleeping manageress in her seat.

"Where's my blanket, fox?" Sakuragi asked. Rukawa gave him a look.

"You said you weren't sleeping."

"Oh, that's right," Sakuragi said, looking back at the open book before him that Ayako had been using to tutor. Rukawa collapsed into the chair next to Sakuragi, then rested his head in his arms, ready to go to sleep.

"Hey, Rukawa."

Rukawa opened one eye, knowing that Sakuragi sometimes had something to say that wasn't idiotic. "What?"

Sakuragi looked down in his lap, contemplative. Sakuragi's eyes had no mirth in them, and his face was deeply serious. Sakuragi had thought about this decision since last night, after the Sakuragi Army took him back to his lonely apartment. Sakuragi finally pushed out the words that he desperately didn't want to say… but thought it would be for the better. For all of them… or at least, for the ones involved.

"Rukawa… can you go out with Haruko?"


	36. Chapter 35

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews:

Um. So yeah. Hi.

I'm sorry for my lack of updates, and I'm sorry that I'm not taking the time to respond to all the reviews for last chapter; I just wanted to get this chapter up as soon as I could. School has been extremely busy, to the point where I literally have no time for my friends or myself.

Plus, I've been chasing a girl I like too. Wish me luck on that, although things look sort of down on that. :)

I thank all of you for being patient with me. I've been getting tons of ideas for future matches, and trust me when I say I won't give up on this fic. until I finish this for good. Slam Dunk deserves it.

* * *

**Chapter 35 – Star Festival**

Rukawa lethargically pushed himself back up in his seat, and if there was any surprise from Sakuragi's request Rukawa didn't show it.

"The old captain's sister, right?"

Sakuragi nodded, a bit peeved that Rukawa even needed confirmation for a beauty like Haruko.

"No."

Sakuragi exploded. "What?! How can you even turn her down like that, fox?! You know she likes you!"

Rukawa shrugged absently. "Not interested."

Sakuragi ground his teeth in rage, and was about to give Rukawa a piece of his mind before Rukawa stopped him with a question.

"You don't like her anymore?"

Sakuragi froze, and turned his head away from the star basketball player, already turning a bit red. "Why does that matter?"

Rukawa narrowed his eyes at Sakuragi's response. The two rivals weren't even facing each other anymore as they talked, as Rukawa kept his hands in his pockets and slouched a bit in his chair, looking forward. Sakuragi was resting his head on his left hand, looking to his right.

"You like her, so it matters."

Sakuragi didn't turn towards Rukawa, because a part of him knew that Rukawa was right. Sakuragi just didn't want to admit it.

Rukawa sighed. "Dou ahou. Did something happen?"

Sakuragi quickly danced around the question. "Fo—Rukawa, please just ask her out," Sakuragi corrected himself as he tried to sound polite towards his rival, although each word he said pained him.

"No."

Sakuragi finally looked back over at Rukawa. "What the hell is your problem, fox?!"

"Not interested." The same words Rukawa had used just moments ago now just enraged Sakuragi further.

"Damnit, fox! At least give me a good reason!"

Rukawa looked pensive, and a silence settled between the two for a moment. Rukawa finally gave his typical curt reply.

"I don't like her romantically. I want to focus on basketball now."

Sakuragi scoffed, then his eyes widened. "Fox, don't tell me you're gay."

Rukawa gave Sakuragi a look. "Are you an idiot or something? That girl just isn't my type."

Sakuragi frowned. "Oh come on, you can tell me if you're gay. You have so many girls chasing you, and you don't even react to them? You must be gay if you don't like someone like Haruko!"

Rukawa sat back up in his chair. "If you like her so much, then why don't _you _ask her out? Why are you telling _me_ to?"

"Because she likes you!"

Rukawa smacked Sakuragi on the head in a quick motion, catching the redhead completely off guard.

"Are you dense? What good does this do for any of us?" Rukawa suddenly made the connection.

"I see. You like her that much…" Rukawa turned away again, and the two fell into another silence… much deeper and longer this time as Sakuragi rubbed his head.

"You like her that much?" Rukawa quietly asked instead of stated this time— the same phrase, but it carried a different meaning. Sakuragi looked at the other basketball player in surprise, as Rukawa seemed to show actual concern towards Sakuragi's situation… but then again, maybe it was because Rukawa himself was involved, one way or the other.

"Yeah, I do fox," Sakuragi said without hesitation.

Rukawa stared at the table blankly. "You like her so much that you just want her happy?"

Sakuragi bit his lip. "Yeah, fox."

Rukawa expression changed slightly, reverting to his typical emotionless stare as he stood. "You forget something, dou ahou."

Sakuragi gave Rukawa a curious look. "What?"

Rukawa turned, and began to leave the room. He didn't turn as he said his final words of the night. "You may make Haruko happy. But it won't make me happy to go out with someone I don't like, and it won't make you happy to not be with the one you care about."

Rukawa walked up the stairs, ending the conversation as he opted to go to his own room to sleep and left Sakuragi sitting there, pondering Rukawa's final words.

* * *

"Crap! We're screwed!"

The four basketball players pedaled like mad towards school. Mitsui and Ayako had hitched a ride from Rukawa's mother. Mitsui because he couldn't exactly pedal on his bike, and Ayako because she was supposed to have gone home last night but instead had slept over, leaving her with no means of transportation. However, for the rest of the players, they weren't offered such a luxury. Miyagi began to realize that Rukawa's mother didn't want to spoil Rukawa, and that's why he biked to school instead of having his parents send him.

Or maybe he was just embarrassed. Whatever.

Either way, the Shohoku starters had woken up late, and although Miyagi and Hiroshi didn't have to retake the test, they still had to attend classes.

"Watch Rukawa!" Miyagi warned as Hiroshi steadied the sleeping Rukawa on his bike. Sakuragi looked pretty energetic, despite the all-nighter he pulled.

"The fox won't crash!" Sakuragi asserted. "Even if he does, there won't be much loss."

Just as Sakuragi said that, Rukawa slammed his bike into a parked car. Miyagi turned in dread, putting on his bike's brakes.

"Holy crap! What are we going to do?!"

Rukawa slowly opened his eyes, and was met with a punch on the head by Sakuragi.

"Idiot fox! What the hell was that?!"

Hiroshi quickly put Rukawa's bike right side up again. "We can't exactly cover up that dent…"

"Hey, hey! What are you kids doing?"

Miyagi instantly panicked, as the owner of the car came running out of a nearby shop. "Damnit! Go go go!"

The Shohoku players leaped onto their bikes and found new speed as they pedaled away feverishly.

"Where are you kids going?! What the… argh!!! My car!!!"

"Turn! Turn! We can't let him catch us!" Miyagi ordered as they turned into a busy street, taking a more dangerous route to school.

"This is going to weigh on my conscience for a while," Hiroshi groaned as the Shohoku players rode right through a red light, rousing the honks of all the drivers around them.

"It's all that fox's fault," Sakuragi grumbled. Sakuragi turned to look at Rukawa, then exploded.

"Damnit! Asleep again, fox?!" Sakuragi screamed at the sleeping Rukawa, who didn't seem to mind anything that was happening around him.

_He still didn't give me a clear answer…_ Sakuragi thought glumly as the group rode on. Sakuragi realized that Rukawa was right; deep down, he knew it. But he didn't want to admit it, so he decided to just go through with the plan.

For Haruko. It was all for her. As long as Sakuragi could see her smile again…

_But… she smiles for me all the time,_ Sakuragi thought as Hiroshi again helped Rukawa turn the corner, with Miyagi in the lead. A bit of doubt invaded Sakuragi, as he began to realize that maybe there was still some hope left.

_No,_ Sakuragi brushed the thought aside. She chose Rukawa. Haruko's words… her mind was clearly set on Rukawa, and only him.

"Whew, we're here!" Miyagi sighed as the basketball players rode through the entrance of the school. They all quickly parked and locked their bikes, with Hiroshi nudging Rukawa awake. Mitsui was leaning against the bike racks, looking as if he's been there for a while.

"What took you?" Mitsui asked with a sarcastic grin.

"Hey, shut up," Miyagi grumbled. The two met eyes and smiled sardonically.

"Good luck, you guys," Hiroshi said as he began to jog away. The freshmen and seniors of the school were all in different classrooms.

"Of course, Hiro! This Tensai will pass easily!" Sakuragi laughed in self-bravado. Hiroshi gave Sakuragi a smile and dashed off to class.

"Don't be dumbasses and waste all our tutoring," Miyagi sighed. "If you guys fail, I blame any and all losses we have in the Inter-Highs on you guys."

"Is that fair?" Mitsui asked the short point guard. "After all, Akagi didn't scold us like you…"

"Oh, yes he did," Sakuragi muttered.

"Hey!"

Sakuragi turned. "Hi guys! Hey, Youhei!"

The Sakuragi Army sauntered up, with Youhei in the front.

"Today is the Tanabata Star Festival, so I wished you guys will pass the re-exam. See? I even wrote it on this colored piece of paper and I'm going to hang it on the nearest bamboo I see!" Youhei showed them a small slip of green paper, with writing on it.

Miyagi overheard them and burst into laughter. "Sakuragi's friends sure do look out for us. Thanks."

Sakuragi snorted. "Youhei, I can't believe you actually still believe in that stuff."

Youhei shrugged. "Doesn't hurt, right?"

The school bell rang quietly.

"Crap, we're late for classes!" Mitsui leaned on his crutches. "I'll see you guys after school for the re-exam, then."

"See you, Micchi!" Sakuragi waved, and everyone dispersed.

"Hey guys, remember! No basketball practice today! I called it off, so Hiroshi and I will wait for you guys outside the class!" Miyagi shouted as he ran toward the school building.

"Right, Ryo-chin!" Sakuragi called back. Rukawa walked lazily off as the Shohoku players went to their classes.

* * *

"How do you think they did?" Hiroshi asked, his lean form splayed out on the school floor. Miyagi and Hiroshi were waiting for the other plays to finish taking their test, and were just chatting outside the testing room.

Miyagi shrugged. "They're idiots, but I think they can finish off that test without too much trouble."

Hiroshi chuckled. "Don't be so hard on them, captain."

Miyagi smiled at the rookie, staring at the opposite wall. "Hiroshi, it's because I care that I'm so hard on them."

Hiroshi looked up at the short point guard with respect. "Yeah, I know that."

At that moment, the door burst open. Sakuragi walked out, his head down as the other players followed him.

Miyagi straightened, looking at the redhead anxiously as Hiroshi lazily picked himself off the floor. "Well, how'd it go?"

Sakuragi looked at Miyagi, and Miyagi felt a chill. _No… they didn't pass?_

A burst of laughter immediately abated Miyagi's fears.

"Haha, of course this Tensai passed!" Sakuragi laughed, grabbing Miyagi in a headlock. "What did you think we were? Idiots?"

Hiroshi smiled. "Mitsui-senpai? Rukawa-senpai? How'd it go?"

Mitsui grinned. "We all passed. Don't worry, we'll be at the Inter-High matches."

Miyagi kicked the giggling Sakuragi away. "Dumbasses. If you guys hadn't passed…"

"But we passed, right?" Mitsui interrupted. "Don't be so uptight. You act like Akagi more and more everyday."

The two gave each other a look, and then burst into laughter… more in relief than anything.

"All right, let's get to practice," Miyagi said, walking off towards the gym casually. Mitsui groaned.

"Give us a break," Mitsui sighed. "You said there was no practice…"

Miyagi grinned devilishly. "I lied, so you guys wouldn't think about it during the test. Now get your rear in gear and let's practice!"

Mitsui groaned loudly again, but followed along anyway. The rest of the basketball starters followed, now feeling a great burden lifted off their shoulders.

* * *

"Guard him! Guard him!"

The basketball gym was hectic with activity as a 5 on 5 scrimmage was going on. The Sakuragi Army was there to watch, along with the two manageresses and Anzai-sensei.

"Guard me?" Sakuragi grinned, bringing the ball down to his knees as Kakuta attempted to stay in front of him. "No one can stop this Tensai!"

Sakuragi smoothly faked, catching Kakuta off guard before racing along the baseline, twisting his body in the air as he avoided contact. Sakuragi quickly reached his right arm across the bottom of the rim and threw down a thunderous reverse dunk that stunned even Miyagi.

"Whoa! Great work, Hanamichi!" The Sakuragi Army cheered from the sidelines. Anzai sipped his tea thoughtfully as Yasuda took the ball out.

_He really is getting better…_ Miyagi thought as his team switched to offense. _That fake wasn't perfect, but it definitely was done at the right time and Sakuragi compensated with his monstrous athletic ability…_

Miyagi grinned as he dribbled the ball down to the other side of the court. _The potential still there for him… it's amazing…_

Kuwata reached in to steal from Miyagi, and Miyagi instinctively spun around Kuwata as his mind focused back onto the game. Miyagi ran in, throwing a precise one-handed bullet pass between Mitsui and Sakuragi to Rukawa, who caught the ball and easily laid it in.

"That's game," Miyagi declared, wiping sweat off is forehead with the back of his wristband. "We worked out enough for today, so you guys can all head on home."

"That was a pretty dangerous pass there," Mitsui teased as everyone began to pack up their stuff.

Miyagi waved Mitsui off impatiently. "Yeah yeah, we know you're bitter. Take the loss like a man."

Haruko timidly walked over to the sweaty Rukawa, who was kneeled over as he wiped his face off with a towel. "Ah… Rukawa-kun…"

Rukawa didn't even look over at her as he packed his things up. Haruko kept talking, anyway.

"Could you meet me outside for a moment? I want to talk…"

Haruko watched in a bit of confusion, as Rukawa's first reaction wasn't just typical aloofness; rather, for a brief second Rukawa's eyes shot towards Sakuragi, who was just next to him as he packed his things up as well. Sakuragi didn't say a word, although he had heard what Haruko just said.

"Mm," Rukawa agreed, standing up. Haruko blushed.

"Great. I'll just wait outside for you, then…" Haruko said, walking out the door in a nervous hurry.

Rukawa and Sakuragi were silent amidst the chattering of the other players. Rukawa continued standing there, as Sakuragi also continued to kneel over his bag.

"She's going to ask you out," Sakuragi said finally, his voice not playful. Rukawa didn't say anything, reverting back to his usual silent self… a strange but justified occurrence, considering how Rukawa had managed to open up to the players in the best few weeks.

"What are you going to say?" Sakuragi inquired, as the two didn't look each other in the eyes.

"I don't know," Rukawa replied in his quiet voice, uncertain. It was a completely different Rukawa from the night before, who was resolute about rejecting Haruko.

Another silence.

"How can you not know?" Sakuragi sighed. "She's a great girl. Just give her a chance."

"I don't like her," Rukawa said quickly. "The only reason I'm wondering about this is because of you, dou ahou."

Sakuragi looked up. "What?"

Rukawa kneeled down to Sakuragi's level, and the two looked into each other's eyes. Rivals before, but now just a bit closer to friends.

"Rejecting her won't be a problem for me," Rukawa said. "I'd rather not leave her hanging. But if I reject her, it will upset you more than it will upset me."

Rukawa stood back up. "You only want her to be happy, huh?"

Sakuragi looked up at Shohoku's ace. "Right, fox."

Rukawa's eyes trailed to the door blankly. "I guess I can give it a try, then."

The way Rukawa was acting… really surprised Sakuragi, more than upset him. Rukawa was clearly not hiding anything; he didn't like Haruko, and Rukawa's body language clearly showed it. Sakuragi was more surprised that Rukawa seemed so sharp about the whole thing; Rukawa seemed to recognize both Sakuragi and Haruko's feelings, and were weighing them against his own.

Still, Sakuragi felt disappointment in Rukawa's agreement. "Right. Okay, fox. Go listen to her confession, then."

Rukawa looked down at the redhead again. "As soon as I step out that door…"

"Right. No turning back." Sakuragi kept nodding and agreeing, as if he understood what he was getting himself into. Bitterness welled up in him, but Sakuragi managed to control himself from sounding too upset. Rukawa considered Sakuragi for one more moment, then walked to the double doors of the gym and went into the cool night to meet Haruko.

Sakuragi sighed and zipped his bag up. Sakuragi quickly stood up and walked to the other exit, not bothering to talk with any of the other players or the Sakuragi Army.

When Sakuragi finally reached his apartment, he looked down and saw a tiny bamboo. On it was a piece of paper with Youhei's writing, wishing him good luck on passing the test.

Sakuragi bit his lip. Sakuragi picked the bamboo up and carried it into his lonely apartment room, and set it on a table. Sakuragi reached into his bag and found a piece of paper, which he promptly tore. On it, Sakuragi quickly scrawled some words in his messy writing before deciding to sleep, dropping it on top of the bamboo as he crashed onto his bed.

_I wish that Haruko will be happy. _


	37. Chapter 36

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Reviews:**

Wow, I've missed you guys. Really, thank you for being loyal readers; I didn't expect to see you guys review my story as soon as you did. Again, I thank you guys deeply and I appreciate your understanding.

And bad news; I got rejected. Thank you all for wishing me good luck with the girl, but I guess it wasn't meant to be.

Yun Fei- Hi there! I've missed ya.

Rukawa basically portrays himself as not wanting Haruko, and Sakuragi is being selfless because he likes Haruko. That's really the most concise way I can put it. ;)

Argh, you finished your story? And I missed it? Who won? -.-

I don't mind that you're advertising; but it would be best if you advertise to a bigger audience, right? I mean, just getting one or two dedicated readers isn't enough! You need more more more! :)

I'm trying desperately to get to the basketball, but I really needed to take time to develop the relationships instead of leaving them on standby like Inoue did once in a while. Once the Inter-High games start, the amount of basketball is probably going to make you guys sick anyway. ;)

Emberlion- Long time no see. Glad to see you again!

Yeah, I'm trying to let Sakuragi and Rukawa take steps towards progressing their relationship. I always believed they respected one another, but could never admit it. Throwing them in an environment where they're both affected by Haruko, I think that they had to develop or else it'd be too superficial, you know?

Thanks for your wishes in my love life. I tried my best. And update soon too, okay?

Mitra1- Haha, thank YOU for reviewing. My updating after such a long time doesn't deserve thanks, but rather flames for being such a lazy bum. ;)

I won't forget you guys as I chase the girl I like, and you'll see how things turn out. :) Thanks for reviewing, again.

Addicted to SD- Thanks for your best wishes on my chasing! And your questions will be answered as the story progresses. :) Thank you for reviewing!

Shadowcleaner- Yeah, school is just… ugh.

Yep, there won't be any yaoi; just good old fashioned bonding between characters or male-female romance. And yes, the relationship is going to be weird, as you will see in later chapters.

Thanks for the review!

Laziness Incarnate- Great to see you again. As for the mom thing, considering the other people had their bikes already available, it would be too much trouble to give them a ride and leave their bikes at the house, no? :)

Thanks for the review and the compliments.

Autumn Chole- Yeah, I keep trying to develop the Ryota-Ayako thing but I haven't come up with ideas on how to approach it. However, I'll be sure to conclude it by the end of the fiction, whenever that will be.

Thanks for the compliments, and I'll be on the lookout for your story too.

Nigel- Thanks man. Too bad I got my ass rejected, but thanks for the girl advice anyway, haha.

DT- Haha, I would absolutely love to see Inoue draw up all the ideas I have in my head… but it won't work out that way. ;)

I'm sorry that I can't release chapters as quickly as I'd like, but sometimes I don't have time or I run into writer's block. Still, I'll try my best to go as fast as possible.

Well, Rukawa and all the other SD characters need development, and that's what I'm aiming for. As for Sakuragi's thoughts, yeah, I noticed that I seem to deviate away from him a lot and that's my bad… but I can't seem to help but let other character's develop a bit on their own, you know?

Thanks for the review, I appreciate it.

* * *

**Chapter 36 – Discussion**

"Did you hear the news?"

Female whispers echoed across the hallway as the students got ready for another school day. The sky was relatively downcast, despite it being summer.

"What news?"

"Haruko is going out with that Rukawa guy…"

A tall basketball player silently put his things in his locker, eavesdropping on the girls' conversation. Although he was just passing by, Mitsui was quite surprised to hear the news.

_Must be gossip,_ Mitsui thought to himself. _Sakuragi would never let Rukawa go anywhere near Haruko…_

"There they are!"

Mitsui's eyes shifted to his right and almost did a double take. Rukawa, the silent and anti-social star basketball player, was indeed walking side by side with Haruko down the hallways. Haruko was already blushing madly, but Mitsui noted with interest that Rukawa's face was professionally blank, if a bit uncomfortable. The noise in the hallways quickly died down as the couple walked through to class. Some students were watching with interest, others with jealousy, and some didn't care at all.

"Hey, Rukawa," Mitsui held his hand up casually as if he didn't notice anything. Rukawa gave Mitsui a look and simply nodded a greeting, while Haruko still looked too dazed to even greet the other basketball player.

_What the hell?_ Mitsui thought in complete confusion as the couple turned off into a classroom. _I wouldn't have believed it, but here it is… the two are standing too close together to have just met in the hallways by coincidence…_

"I think it's sweet."

Mitsui turned his head to see Ayako standing there, her hair braided and smelling lightly feminine. Mitsui shrugged.

"It's not really my business, but I was surprised to see Rukawa even showing any romantic interest at all. Especially considering…" Mitsui trailed off, and Ayako nodded understandably.

"Yeah, Sakuragi certainly is left out in the cold on this one. It's such a shame, considering how much he liked her…" Ayako tilted her head up towards the ceiling in thought as she leaned against a locker, her skirt fluttering a bit.

Mitsui narrowed his eyes. "I'm guessing Haruko knew about Sakuragi?"

Ayako looked at Mitsui seriously. "Actually, I don't think she does. Haruko was talking to me yesterday about asking Rukawa out after practice, but I never thought she would go through with it."

"Does anyone else know?"

Ayako shrugged absently. "Not anyone on the basketball team, I'd think. Maybe Anzai-sensei, but that is just because he was sitting near us."

Mitsui scratched his head. _No… surely, one more person would know about this…_

* * *

"What… the… HELL?!" Youhei screamed at Sakuragi, drawing stares from the other students in the classroom.

"I let Rukawa ask Haruko out," Sakuragi repeated bluntly, staring out the window and avoiding eye contact with his friend. It was break, and Youhei was talking privately with Sakuragi after just hearing the news about the newborn couple circulating the hallways earlier in the morning.

Youhei gritted his teeth. "Hanamichi, what's wrong with you?"

Sakuragi didn't turn his head. Already, Sakuragi's hair was about mid-length again; that is, it looked like the hairstyle he had during his back therapy after the Sannoh game, with a few bangs trailing down his forehead here and there.

Youhei tried to articulate something, but failed. The two best friends were silent for a moment while Youhei tried to gather his thoughts together.

"What the hell?" Youhei repeated again, still disbelieving. Sakuragi was sullen, and continued his silence.

Youhei sighed loudly and looked out the same window Sakuragi was staring out of, as if trying to see what Sakuragi was reflecting on in his mind.

_The Army did so much for this guy, but it seems we couldn't save him…_ Youhei thought bitterly. _The rest of the guys will probably do the whole rejection celebration thing, but this relationship… I thought he really had a chance, even if it was just a small one…_

Youhei shifted his gaze towards the back of Sakuragi's head. _What's going on in his mind? I used to think he was the same guy as always, but ever since his back therapy, our leader has really changed… he's still playful, but now he's letting his emotions take over him that much more… I've never seen him so quiet ever since his father's death. Was it because you had so much time to think during therapy, Hanamichi? Or is it because you just miraculously matured?_

Youhei kept all this silent and just scoffed. "I don't know what to say, buddy."

"There isn't anything you have to say," Sakuragi said quietly. "I thought about it, and I think this is best."

"You dumbass!" Youhei's pent up emotions exploded, and he suddenly punching Sakuragi in the back of his head. Sakuragi's forehead smashed against the plastic window with a dull thud, as the other students suddenly all turned their attention to the two. Youhei didn't care, since the teacher wasn't there anyway. Youhei slid off the desk he was sitting on as he yelled at the redhead.

"I'm saying this as your best friend, but you are really a damn idiot!" Youhei flung the words bitterly. "I've never seen you give up something this quickly, especially when it comes to relationships! You never gave up until you heard the rejection from the girl herself! What the hell is up with this sudden change of heart?!"

Sakuragi didn't move a muscle as he continued looking out the window, now his forehead pressed up against the plastic.

"I can't stand to see you like this," Youhei sighed, picking up his bag as he prepared to ditch class. "I'm getting out of here. If you still want to talk, we're always here for you. But don't come to me with that pathetic attitude."

Youhei stormed out of the classroom as the other students' eyes followed. Sakuragi simply thought with wonder that this was the angriest he had ever seen his best friend act.

* * *

"You sure are acting like an angst-ridden teenager."

Youhei smiled bitterly. "Actually, I don't think I'm the only one."

Hiroshi sighed quietly as he sipped some tea. The unlikely two were in a nearby restaurant, chatting aimlessly.

"I can't believe you forced me to ditch class," Hiroshi grinned, still calm as ever. "What about the rest of the gang?"

Youhei shrugged. "They're doing really poorly in class. I don't want them to repeat a grade or something just because I made them ditch. Since I heard you had pretty good grades, I thought it'd be okay if I dragged you out instead of them."

Hiroshi reached a long arm out and carefully placed the tea back onto the table. "Okay, senpai. I know you didn't take me out here just so you could have a buddy to chat with. What's the problem?"

Youhei smiled in thanks. "Hiro, sorry to drag you into this."

"I figured I was somehow involved ever since the time you guys came asking me for a dress shirt and borrow money for flowers," Hiroshi teased lightly.

Youhei scratched his head sheepishly. "Eh… sorry we haven't paid you back yet…"

Hiroshi burst into easy laughter. "Don't worry about it too much. But don't think I'm letting you off the hook, either."

Youhei laughed along with the basketball rookie, feeling comfortable. _No wonder even Rukawa is able to interact with this guy… he's really nice and carefree…_

Hiroshi quickly settled down and his eyes became darkly serious, stunning Youhei a bit in his almost instantaneous change. "So what's up?"

The comfort level Youhei had felt suddenly tensed a bit. _And no wonder some people are scared of him on the basketball court…when he's serious, he's just as frightening as Sakuragi on a rampage…_

Youhei sat silent for a few seconds, then told Hiroshi all he knew about what he had heard. Once he was done, Hiroshi leaned back in his chair, with one gangly arm draped along his waist.

"I don't know what to say, either," Hiroshi said. "That was Sakuragi-senpai's choice, not mine. He took the best route in his mind. You shouldn't have gotten so mad at him."

"Yeah… I guess I lost my temper," Youhei admitted. "But Hiro, since I've known that guy for so long… seeing him act the way he did really pissed me off."

Hiroshi tapped a finger against the table thoughtfully. "Look, I'm flattered you seem to think that I would know what to say to make things better, senpai. But I've never been in a relationship before either, so I really have no clue. And just as you've said, I don't know Sakuragi-senpai well enough to give you a trustworthy opinion about the whole thing."

Youhei drooped his head a bit. "Yeah, I figured you'd say something like that."

Hiroshi sighed. "Senpai, just be the best friend you always were with him. Offer him advice and stuff. If anything, he would understand you just as much as you understand him." Hiroshi smiled his typical faint smile. "He won't hold anything against you for punching him, I'm sure. But take less violent actions next time. As an orphan myself, I think Sakuragi needs all the support he can get."

Youhei nodded, a bit taken aback at how straightforwardly Hiroshi had mentioned his own past. "Gotcha."

The two continued to sip tea quietly, and Hiroshi silently made the prediction that he'd be the one paying for the tea in a few moments.

* * *

"Sprint, sprint, sprint!" Miyagi yelled at the basketball players as they raced around the court. Hiroshi had returned for practice, and Sakuragi had shown up as well.

"We only have a few weeks left, keep running!" Miyagi barked out at the players. As soon as the run was over, most of the players doubled over, gasping for air. Even Miyagi had to pause for a moment to catch his breath.

"Damn man, don't you think you're working us too hard?" Mitsui managed before coughing. "Even Akagi didn't make us do this much…"

"We have to be even better than last year!" Miyagi replied. "That's the only way we can make Akagi proud!"

Mitsui stayed bent over, knowing he couldn't argue against that point.

Miyagi stared at Mitsui. "You know, you just got your crutches off yesterday after practice. I don't think you should even be running."

Mitsui winced. "It doesn't hurt too badly."

Sakuragi kicked Mitsui's shin lightly. "Really? It doesn't?"

"Well, it's going to hurt if you hit it, moron!" Mitsui grabbed the redhead in a headlock.

Ayako shook her head from the sidelines. "Those boys…"

Rukawa stood off alone, not looking particularly tired as his stamina had improved greatly after training with the All-Japan team. Haruko watched him in a daze, her eyes dancing over him as if she was still stunned Rukawa had agreed to her confession. Sakuragi noted this from the headlock sadly; his struggles suddenly stopping just long enough for Mitsui to notice and stop wrestling him.

Mitsui quietly followed Sakuragi's line of sight to Haruko. Then, Mitsui slowly released Sakuragi, uncomfortable about the situation.

Miyagi didn't notice a thing, and if he did, he wasn't showing it to the other players. "Okay, one more round of wind sprints and then we'll scrimmage."

* * *

The weeks passed normally enough; the Shohoku basketball team practiced hellishly under Miyagi, and Mitsui's leg was soon almost completely healed. The uproar about Rukawa and Haruko died down a bit in school, and Sakuragi simply avoided the couple as much as he could. Youhei didn't offer his leader an apology; but intrinsically they both forgave one another for their respective actions. The Sakuragi Army went about normally, as if nothing had really happened.

Before they knew it, there was only ten days left before the Inter-High competition.

Miyagi watched Anzai-sensei nervously as the rest of the basketball team also stared at the coach with anticipation. Anzai had requested everyone bring their belongings as they gathered outside the gym.

Anzai cleared his throat. "Miyagi-kun, you did a good job drilling them. However, having these weeks off without playing competitive basketball is bound to leave many of you rusty. Therefore, I have scheduled our traditional one-week training camp with Josei High. Suzuki-sensei will take you there."

An elderly man stood off to the side, ready to take the Shohoku players away. Miyagi nodded.

"Right, sir."

"Mitsui-kun, how's your leg?"

Mitsui looked at the coach in surprise. "Um, it's fine Anzai-sensei."

Anzai nodded. "I see. If that's the case, stay here. Sakuragi-kun, you will also be staying."

"What, old man?!" Sakuragi exploded as Mitsui watched Anzai in shock. "Don't tell me you're keeping me behind for the second straight year!"

Hiroshi tentatively raised an arm up. "Sensei, I can't go to the training camp either."

"Oh?" Anzai looked at Hiroshi quizzically.

"I'm going to Tokyo to visit my sister."

"I thought your sister lived in Narita, Hiro," Sakuragi said. Hiroshi nodded.

"She does. But over the phone she said she wanted to meet in Tokyo, so I'm just obeying her."

Anzai adjusted his glasses. "I see, Hiroshi-kun. Then, please stay safe and give your sister both the team's and my best wishes."

"I will," Hiroshi replied, turning. "I'll see you guys in a week, then."

The basketball team offered their goodbyes as Hiroshi jogged off towards his house, his bag in hand. Miyagi sighed.

_Without Hiroshi, we really do lose a lot…_ Miyagi thought in worry. _Will Hiroshi even get any basketball training during his time in Tokyo?_

"Don't worry about it," Ayako said, breaking into Miyagi's thoughts. Miyagi turned towards his crush.

"Oh? About what?"

Ayako smiled brightly, and Miyagi blushed. "I can't read your mind, but you looked stressed as soon as Hiroshi left. I'm assuming you're wondering if he'll get enough training… and I think he will. Hiroshi is a good kid."

Miyagi returned Ayako's smile with confidence. "Yeah, you're right Aya-chan."

"All right, get the hell out of here," Mitsui grumbled, waving them off. "Seeing you guys about to get training while I'm stuck with Sakuragi upsets me."

"Don't slack off too much," Miyagi grinned, as the basketball team followed Suzuki-sensei off. Only Sakuragi and Mitsui were left. Anzai patted both of their shoulders in comfort.

"There's a reason I'm keeping you two here, so don't look so upset."

"I'm not upset at all," Mitsui said instantly, still trusting Anzai. Sakuragi, on the other hand, was a different story.

"Old man, when are you going to take this Tensai's skills seriously?!"

Anzai chuckled. "Follow me into the gym, and we'll talk about it."

The two tall basketball players followed the short and stout coach back into Shohoku High's gym obediently.

* * *

"Do you know what Anzai-sensei is doing, Ryota?"

Miyagi looked at Ayako seriously. Miyagi was absolutely delighted that Ayako decided to sit next to him on the train to Josei High, but he knew when to talk to his crush normally.

"Something along the lines of what he did with Hanamichi last year. At least, that's what he told me."

"And Mitsui?"

Miyagi shrugged. "Not too sure, but my guess is that he didn't want to hurt his pride by telling Mitsui that he was uncertain if it would be okay for him to be thrown into a competitive environment. Mitsui's leg is getting better, but I don't think Anzai-sensei is taking any chances."

Miyagi looked back out the train window, a bit nervous about keeping eye contact with his crush for so long. "And plus…"

Ayako looked at him. "Yes?"

Miyagi grinned at his own reflection. "Mitsui is becoming like Sakuragi's mentor, I'd say. Akagi did it last year, and now it's natural for Mitsui to take over the role. Akagi taught Sakuragi almost all his defensive and rebounding skills, and now it's Mitsui's turn to teach Sakuragi about offense."

Ayako nodded thoughtfully. "Ryota, you've been giving this some thought, haven't you?"

Miyagi laughed, without much mirth. "I guess so. I really want Shohoku to do well, you know."

The two grew silent again as the train sped along.

* * *

Hiroshi stepped off his train and smiled faintly, a bag hung casually over his shoulder. Hiroshi burst into a quick run, not really caring who saw him and slowed as soon as he found the person he was looking for, trying to look casual.

A pretty girl looked up from her seat at a bench. There were signs of age appearing briefly on her relatively young face and she wore no makeup; she was plain, but still attractive in her own way. Her hair was relatively long, and tied neatly into a simple, cascading ponytail that trailed down her slender back. She burst into a radiant smile as soon as she saw Hiroshi.

"Hey, stupid," the girl said jokingly, her voice light and delicate. Hiroshi smiled too, dropping the bag at his feet. He quickly grasped the girl in his arms in a tight embrace.

"Hey, Nee-san," Hiroshi replied, towering over the girl whose head barely made it past his chest. "I missed you."


	38. Chapter 37

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews: Thanks for the reviews, everyone.

If anyone cares about what happened for the rejection, it really wasn't much; more of a discovery that she had a boyfriend already, so I just automatically backed off without asking her out. I might ask her out in the future, but neh, we'll see, right? Again, thanks to everyone for the well-wishes and such. Hope we all have a good new year, eh?

Yun Fei- Haha, I didn't plan on adding Hiroshi's sister in either, but I think my brain is going crazy. She'll play a minimal role in things, but not much.

As for the story… you guys will see. :) Thank you for the review, and advertisement is fine. In fact…

EVERYONE GO READ YUN FEI'S STORY. NOW.

There, better? :)

Mitra1- Thanks for your encouragement. I'll just see where life takes me, right?

You got some good ideas going there, and maybe some of them will reveal themselves to be true. We'll see. :)

Thanks for the review.

Adjustment- Thanks for the review, and I'm glad I'm handling the relationship all right.

Iron Duke- Hey man! Long, LONG time no see. Great to see you have an account; plan on writing anything? :)

And don't worry about the "rejection;" it isn't that big of a deal. Thanks, though.

Laziness Incarnate- Oui. Il est un grand idiot.

Haha, you mischievous lady. Get back to work and don't get caught. ;)

Migo- Not a problem man. Glad to hear from you.

Hellsing- Eh, just real life caught up. School, girls, stuff like that. Don't worry, I'll finish the story somehow, someway. Thanks for the review.

* * *

**Chapter 37 – Chance**

Hiroshi lounged on the chair in the hotel room. His sister sighed as she came into the room, setting down a paper cup of tea for him.

"Still acting so lazy, stupid?" she said, feigning annoyance.

Hiroshi smiled at her, still reclining in the chair. "Hey, you don't always need to treat me like this, Ayame."

Ayame sighed again as she sat down on the bed, the television muted in the background. "When you grow up, I might let it go."

The two looked at each other, and chuckled mindlessly. Hiroshi sat up, and his sister nodded with approval.

"So? How have you been?" Hiroshi asked, reaching for the tea.

"Fine," Ayame answered, already beginning on her own tea. "Narita is starting to get a lot more tourists, so it's been getting a bit busy."

Hiroshi looked out the hotel window a bit unhappily. "Sorry that I haven't been able to help with our financial needs."

Ayame gave Hiroshi a harsh glare. "Stupid, I don't care about things like that. I barely give you enough as it is."

Hiroshi smiled at Ayame faintly, causing Ayame to involuntarily soften her expression. Hiroshi's smile seemed much more mature than when they had met earlier in the year… and at the same time, a bit more cynical and bitter.

"You give me more than I deserve," Hiroshi replied seriously. "I should be the one paying off the bills."

Ayame set the tea back on the table, the cup already half empty.

_Or half full, depending on how you look at it_, Hiroshi blankly thought.

"Don't worry about things like this," Ayame said sourly. "I'm here to see my dear brother, not to talk about our economic power. When you graduate from college, I'll stop bugging you and you can buy me a nice place." Ayame smiled jokingly on her last few words.

Hiroshi laughed, and the two loosened up again. Still, in the back of Hiroshi's mind he definitely planned to think of a way to help lessen his sister's burden. Hiroshi wasn't blind enough to overlook that his sister seemed to be more exhausted than before.

"Are there any basketball courts around here?" Hiroshi asked abruptly. Ayame looked at him in slight surprise.

"Still into basketball?" Ayame asked.

Hiroshi grinned. "I'm on the Shohoku basketball team now."

Ayame stared into her tea. "I hope it doesn't affect your studies."

Hiroshi's smile waned a bit at her lack of enthusiasm towards the news. "It won't."

Ayame sighed. "I don't know if there are courts around here. You know that Japan doesn't have street courts like America or something. Basketball isn't the most popular sport here."

Hiroshi suddenly berated himself, feeling guilty that his mind was so fixated on basketball instead of his sister. Hiroshi leaned back into his chair again.

"…I'm sorry."

Ayame gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't be. I don't expect you to cling to my hand like you used to, stupid. Besides, we are always so far apart from one another…"

Hiroshi didn't say a word, although he knew the reality of their situation. Ayame studied him silently for a moment.

"I'm going to take a nap," Ayame announced, standing. "You might as well go look for a basketball court, since there isn't anything else to do."

Hiroshi stood up in excitement, but then cringed a bit at his own enthusiasm. "…Are you sure?"

Ayame waved him off gently. "Go. We have almost a week together, anyway."

Hiroshi reached into his bag and pulled out a basketball. "Thanks, Nee-San." As he walked out the door, he gave his sister a quick peck on the cheek as he raced out. Ayame just shook her head in astonishment as she put the paper cups into the trash.

* * *

Mitsui tapped his foot impatiently. "Why the hell am I here with you?"

Sakuragi gave Mitsui a look. "Why are you asking me, Micchi? I'm the one that still hasn't played this Josei High or whatever yet. How can they ignore a Tensai like me?"

"Yo."

Sakuragi looked behind Mitsui. "Youhei!"

Mitsui turned and saw the Sakuragi Army, and again Takamiya had a camcorder in hand. Sakuragi's eyes widened a bit at the sight of it.

"What's the meaning of this?"

Anzai-sensei approached from behind the Sakuragi Army, still dressed rather formally. "What do _you _think it means, Sakuragi-kun?"

Mitsui was completely oblivious to the bantering between Sakuragi and Anzai as Sakuragi shrugged. Anzai stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Ho ho ho, you still don't see it, Sakuragi-kun?" Anzai peered over his glasses.

Sakuragi absently shook his head. Anzai considered him for a few more seconds, and then silently held his hand out towards Youhei. Youhei gave him a basketball, which Anzai calmly bounced into Sakuragi's hands.

"I want you to play Mitsui-kun, one on one, up to five, by ones and twos."

Mitsui looked at Anzai in shock. "What?"

Sakuragi didn't really understand either. "Why, old man?"

Anzai just stood there, and the two basketball players sighed as Sakuragi checked the ball in to Mitsui, knowing they couldn't argue. However, the two instantly became serious as they started their little match—Mitsui, because he had so much to prove and a reputation to uphold, and Sakuragi, as he continued to play in hopes of one day overtaking Rukawa and earning his desired status in the basketball community.

Youhei watched intently. _This isn't the first time the two have gone against each other, although it wasn't in such a isolated environment… and with Sakuragi and Mitsui both having improved, maybe…_

Youhei's thoughts were interrupted by a loud curse from Sakuragi as Mitsui stole the ball from Sakuragi, who had tried to race in. Mitsui quickly turned, not even really setting his feet as he shot a quick three-pointer that left his hand before Sakuragi had turned around to guard Mitsui.

Anzai watched in amazement as the ball swished through the net, already making the scores 2-0. Anzai shook his head in disbelief.

_Mitsui-kun… I thought you were at your best last year, but now I see…_

Mitsui just glared at Sakuragi as he held his hand out for the ball. Now that they were competitors, Mitsui was showing Sakuragi neither kindness nor mercy. "Let's get this over with."

Sakuragi tossed the ball back to Mitsui. Mitsui quickly pump-faked, and Sakuragi fell for it, his upper body tensing up and his mind focusing on the shot just enough for Mitsui to go past him. Mitsui was not as fast as Miyagi or as explosive as Rukawa, but he was quick enough to almost make it to the rim before Sakuragi recovered. Mitsui watched Sakuragi out of the corner of his eye and abruptly pulled to a stop, jumping into the air and shooting a smooth jumper that snapped through the net even with Sakuragi leaping into the air to try and contest the shot. 3-0.

"Damnit!" Sakuragi swore, grabbing the ball. _How did Micchi get so good?_

Then Sakuragi realized it—Mitsui didn't become any better than he already was. This was the Mitsui of the middle-school years, the MVP, a dangerous and clutch basketball player. Last year's Mitsui was lacking in stamina, and could only compensate for that through his determination; but this year, Mitsui's stamina had improved greatly as he continued to compete at the high-school level. And that sprain he had suffered during the Kainan game had only boosted his desire to play—Mitsui knew this was his last year, and his last chance to achieve what Akagi could not.

Sakuragi angrily passed the ball off to Mitsui. Mitsui eyed the rim from the three-point line, and again Sakuragi took the bait but was cautious, edging in a bit closer in an attempt to stop Mitsui from sweeping the game. Mitsui went right, and Sakuragi kept close as Mitsui went to the side of the rim. Mitsui stopped, faked, and leaned back as he shot a fadeaway jumper that bounced lightly off the glass and into the hoop despite Sakuragi's pressure. 4-0.

Youhei covered his face with embarrassment. _I didn't think Sakuragi would get beaten so badly… but then again, Mitsui is playing great…_

"It's not over yet!" Sakuragi yelled, smacking the gym floor in disgust as he took the ball and threw the ball at Mitsui again. As soon as Mitsui caught the ball, he let fly a three-pointer.

"It is now," Mitsui declared, albeit a bit too soon as the ball came up a bit short. Sakuragi instantly shot into the air, grabbing the rebound from above the rim. Anzai was pleased to see that Sakuragi's jumping had not abated at all.

"Shut your mouth, Micchi! Now you see the real Tensai's skills!" Sakuragi laughed in self-bravado as he dribbled outside the three-point arc. Mitsui quickly darted in front of Sakuragi, and Sakuragi couldn't help but notice how seriously Mitsui was taking the match. Sakuragi was forced to stop his dribble, far outside his comfort zone. Mitsui quickly pressed up against Sakuragi, blocking him off completely.

"Damnit!" Sakuragi swore, bringing the ball up over his head but still unable to find enough room to shoot. Sakuragi forced the shot anyway, as he had no other options. Mitsui turned to see the ball bounce off the other side of the rim. Mitsui went to chase down the rebound, but a streak blazed past him as Sakuragi quickly snagged another rebound. Sakuragi looked up and realizing he was under the hoop, quickly banked the shot in before Mitsui could come over and stop him. 4-1.

"Haha! What now, Micchi?!" Sakuragi gloated, as if he had won the match already. Mitsui silently passed the ball back to Sakuragi. Sakuragi brought the ball down, only for Mitsui to take another swipe at the ball. Sakuragi exploded forward, catching Mitsui off guard with his speed. However, Sakuragi accidentally kicked the ball off his foot and the ball rolled out of bounds.

"My ball," Mitsui asserted, walking to the top of the key as Sakuragi bitterly chased the ball down. Sakuragi passed the ball over to the shooting guard, and Mitsui waited for Sakuragi to get into position before carefully dribbling the ball once, then running towards the basket, his head down as he went straight into Sakuragi. Sakuragi involuntarily took a few steps back, and Mitsui abruptly stopped, his head back up as he leaned back and shot another baby jumper from the paint, ending the match as the ball softly went through the net. 5-1.

"Shit…" Sakuragi muttered darkly, looking at the floor. Mitsui simply wiped sweat from his brow, glancing over at Anzai. Anzai walked over to Sakuragi and patted him on his back in comfort.

"Do you see it now?"

Sakuragi slumped a bit, his arrogant demeanor gone again just as it was when Rukawa dominated him in his other one-on-one match. "Yeah, old man. I'm still not the best."

Anzai nodded thoughtfully. "But this week, we'll take you a step closer, Sakuragi-kun."

Sakuragi looked at Anzai, and Anzai glanced at Mitsui. "I taught you the jump shot last year, right Sakuragi?"

Sakuragi nodded. "Yeah, and I improved on it!"

Anzai laughed. "Yes, I noticed it during the games Sakuragi-kun. However, I think recently you have taken such a fondness towards the jump shot that it is hurting your development."

Anzai drew Sakuragi closer to him, ignoring the perspiration that Sakuragi had. "There are few players as talented as you, Sakuragi-kun. As our center, it is definitely necessary you utilize the jump shot to the fullest to spread the opponent's defense a bit more. But that alone isn't enough. Before you can hope to defeat Rukawa-kun…"

Sakuragi gritted his teeth upon the mention of his rival's name.

"…you must first surpass Akagi."

As soon as the words left Anzai's mouth, everyone reached a dead silence at such a proposition. Mitsui opened his mouth in protest, but Anzai stopped him.

"Sakuragi-kun can never become what Akagi was, because Sakuragi-kun is a completely different player. I do not expect Sakuragi-kun to follow Akagi's legacy—but rather, to create his own. To become the best player that he possibly can. This week, Mitsui will help you completely master the basics of basketball."

Sakuragi groaned. "Old man, I've done so much with basics that even Ryo-chin would vomit if he had to do anymore."

Anzai didn't tear his gaze from Sakuragi, and the hand around Sakuragi's shoulder grew a bit tighter. Sakuragi winced a bit, detecting the White-Haired Devil side of the coach. "I know you've done the basics a lot. But no player can get by without practicing basics. Being one-dimensional will only make a player detrimental to the team. That is why this week, Mitsui will help you with the basics and perfect them until you have surpassed the Sakuragi of last year."

"Wouldn't you like to play better than the Sakuragi in the Sannoh game?"

Sakuragi grew reflective. The Sannoh game… the game Sakuragi, as well as every other Shohoku player, had laid everything on the court. It wasn't about the game-winning shot; it was everything up to that moment. Fighting for rebounds. Diving for loose balls. Playing with desire, playing with passion, playing with heart. That game was the day Shohoku clicked, and everyone played their absolute best—what Anzai was asking for was for Sakuragi to completely break his limits and play better than his best.

Sakuragi's face spread into a playful grin. "Are we going to get started right now, old man?"

* * *

Hiroshi sighed in relief. It took him almost an hour, but he finally found a court after asking around. Hiroshi was pleased to see there were a few people there, too: five, to be exact. Hiroshi walked over, and the people there immediately welcomed him.

"Hey, let's pick that guy up!" one of the players called, pointing at Hiroshi. Another walked up to him.

"Can you scrimmage with us?"

Hiroshi smiled. "Sure."

Hiroshi studied them carefully, putting his ball under the basket's pole. There was only one other teenager; the others were adults, or at least in their mid-twenties. Three of the others definitely looked like they could be fathers, if they already weren't. One of the older adults had something that Hiroshi couldn't quite put his finger on, but it felt like he had met him before…

"Shoot for teams, then," the only other teenager said, tossing his ball towards Hiroshi. Hiroshi snapped out of his daze and walked to the free throw line, and promptly missed.

Hiroshi shrugged as the next three people all made their free throws, forming the teams. Hiroshi was with the teenager and one of the adults that Hiroshi had singled out earlier. He seemed relatively old, and he seemed to have dyed his hair black to appear younger. As Hiroshi shook his hand, the elder grinned.

"Are you on the Shohoku basketball team?"

Hiroshi looked at him in surprise, but then smiled back. "Oh, I am. How did you know?"

The older man shrugged. "My son is on the team as well, and I went to the Ryonan-Shohoku match."

Hiroshi was curious. "I see. Who is your son?"

The man looked at him seriously. "Rukawa Kaede."

Hiroshi's eyes widened in shock. The man noticed his dismay and his grin grew a bit wider. "Does it shock you that much?"

Hiroshi forced another smile and held his hand out again; forgetting, in his astonishment, that he had just shook hands a few seconds ago. Rukawa's father grasped it firmly again anyway and the two shook. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I can't say I wasn't surprised, though."

The other players looked at them impatiently. "Let's get this started."

"Right, shoot for takeout," the teenager on Hiroshi's team said, passing it to Hiroshi. Hiroshi sighed as he took the ball and shot the three, the ball bouncing off the right side as Hiroshi winced.

"Our ball," one of the adults declared, his build rather large. He was not as tall as Hiroshi, but he looked to be about 185 cm, Hiroshi guessed. The other person on the team had streaked yellow hair, looking in his mid-twenties. The final person on their team had a light red tint in his hair, and was definitely pushing middle age.

Hiroshi quickly decided on taking Big, already forming generic nicknames for them like Sakuragi usually does (not being as insulting as the redhead, of course). Rukawa's father was guarding Red, and the other teenager took Streak.

"Okay, ball in," Big declared, checking the ball with Hiroshi after making sure everyone on the court was ready. Hiroshi nonchalantly tapped it back and instantly crouched into defensive position, his senses fully alert. Big passed over Hiroshi to Streak, who faked quickly and drove in, tossing in a reverse layup under pressure from the teenager on Hiroshi's team. 1-0.

"What are we playing up to?" Hiroshi inquired as Big checked the ball with Hiroshi again.

"Up to 11," Big said, tossing the ball towards Red this time. Red watched Rukawa's father carefully, making a motion forward and stepping back for the pull up jumper. In a blur, Rukawa's father dashed forward and blocked the ball cleanly. Hiroshi quickly raced over and picked up the loose ball, then threw a pass straight to the teenager, who laid it in, as the other team didn't get time to set up any sort of defense. 1-1.

"Nice block," Hiroshi said with deep respect. _Blocking efficientlyis such a difficult skill… and Rukawa's father did it with such ease, and clearly without fouling him…_

Rukawa's father went to the top of the key, checking the ball and tossing it over to Hiroshi. Hiroshi held the ball over his head, watching carefully. Rukawa's father dashed in, but Big seemed to realize it as he deflected the pass meant for Rukawa's father.

"Crap!" Hiroshi said as the ball rolled over to Streak. Streak held the ball as Red went over to set a screen, which Streak took advantage of.

"Damnit, switch guys! Switch!" Hiroshi called, racing in to help as the teenager hit the screen. As Streak went up for the layup, Rukawa's father went from behind and swatted the ball out of bounds just as the ball left Streak's hands. Hiroshi quickly came to a halt.

_Another block?_ Hiroshi thought in wonder. Streak didn't call for a foul as he silently went to inbound the ball. As Streak passed in, Big raced by and caught the pass, aiming for a quick layup. Rukawa's father again stood between him and the basket, and once again blocked the ball smoothly as the ball bounced back into the teenager's hands. At this point, Hiroshi was thunderstruck.

_Three blocks… in a row?_ Hiroshi was in awe. Rukawa's father was not even as tall as Hiroshi or his son, Rukawa; he was a little above average height, looking to be about 174 cm. As Hiroshi was thinking this, the ball flew and smacked him in the chest. Hiroshi quickly snapped out of his daze, fumbling the ball as he regained control of it before the other team could take advantage and steal.

"Stay in the game!" Rukawa's father called, holding his hand up. Hiroshi passed the ball to Rukawa's father, who deftly did a head fake that caused Red to flinch. Rukawa's father instantly raced by and soared into the air, laying the ball in gracefully.

Hiroshi couldn't help but smile. _This guy is amazing… still leaping that high at his age? _Hiroshi's thoughts were interrupted as he noticed Rukawa's father tapping the small of his back, as if he too had just realized that maybe he should not have strained himself so much.

Hiroshi waited a brief second, then checked the ball and faked a pass over to Rukawa's father. Big went for it, and Hiroshi quickly penetrated the defense, crossing over to his dominant right hand as he kept his dribble low, throwing a pass to Rukawa's father. Rukawa's father took it and simply threw it right back to Hiroshi, who made a quick finger roll before he reached the paint. The ball hit the inner part of the rim before bouncing in. 3-1.

Hiroshi landed and Rukawa's father pointed at him.

"Don't let up!" Rukawa's father called as Big passed over to Hiroshi to inbound. Hiroshi got into offensive stance again; his weight distributed a bit more towards his toes as he bent a bit lower.

"Don't worry, I won't," Hiroshi replied and raced in again, the sun bright in the sky as the game dragged on.


	39. Chapter 38

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews: Yun Fei- Pft. You always write better than me; you just don't write enough. ;)

Thanks for your review.

Mitra1- Oh, you'll see. :) Actually in truth, I don't plan to let either them have a massive role in the story, they're just helping the plot I have in mind move along. Thanks for the review.

Iron Duke- Awesome. SD and Eva are both great animes, and I'm sure you can do a great job with either. Thanks for the review, man. How's the team coming along?

Laziness Incarnate- Yep, I never feel any bias from you towards Mitsui. Ever. :)

Actually, I'm about to become more clichéd than you think. However, thanks for your comments on OCs; in truth, I absolutely hate writing about them because I have so much trouble developing them, but hearing those comments from you are really appreciated.

Give yourself a pat on the back too. Why? Just for being yourself, you super lady. :P

Addicted to SD- Hooray! You're my 200th review!

Do you get anything? Um… nah. Sorry.

Those questions will be explained in other chapters, so just be patient. Thanks for your input though, and thanks for the review!

Adjustment- Yep, I hope so too. Thanks for the review.

Shadowcleaner- Ick, Internet troubles always stink. And the ideas I have for the Inter-High are probably going to seem out there, but whatever. You guys will see. Glad to hear you're excited, though.

-waves madly- Thanks for the review, I always appreciate them!

Hellsing- Yeah, I wanted to write a bit more but I thought that the basketball at the match didn't really have much of a point so I just stopped smack in the middle. Thanks for the review.

* * *

**Chapter 38 – Preparation**

"Okay, that's enough," the teenager gasped as the ball went through the net for the final time that day. Hiroshi also doubled over, gasping for breath as sweat poured down his face.

The game had come and gone, and the group had played a few more games afterwards. The sun had set almost an hour ago, and the night was getting cold—and yet the group had still played, despite the fact they couldn't even see the basketball rim once they stood outside the three-point line. Hiroshi had been hit in the face twice by the basketball and fumbled it many other times, as no one could even see the basketball by the time the sun had set.

And yet they had played on.

Hiroshi was absolutely dumbfounded by Rukawa's father. Rukawa's father had blocked so many shots that Hiroshi had simply given up on counting, and Hiroshi had been blocked numerous times by Rukawa's father when they had played on opposing teams. Hiroshi had only blocked the ball a grand total of four times during their whole stint playing together, all off layups.

"Let me treat you to dinner," Rukawa's father declared, resting his hand on Hiroshi's back. Hiroshi shook his head.

"It's okay," Hiroshi said.

"Don't be modest. I don't have anything to do today, and I can send you home right after."

Hiroshi thought silently for a few seconds of his sister. "No, I really shouldn't."

Rukawa's father nodded understandably. "Let me at least share a taxi with you home, then."

Hiroshi took that offer, and they all exchanged goodbyes with the other players. As Hiroshi leaned back into the seat of the taxi, Rukawa's father made small talk with Hiroshi.

"So, is Shohoku in the Inter-Highs this year?"

Hiroshi smiled. "Yes, we made it."

Rukawa's father looked as if he expected them to. "Good. I'll be sure to come down and watch you guys, if I have the time."

Hiroshi looked over at Rukawa's father curiously. "If you have time? Why are you in Tokyo, anyway?"

"Business. I can't stay in Kanagawa a lot, because I have to travel."

"I see," Hiroshi replied thoughtfully.

"And you? Shouldn't you be in basketball practice or something?" Rukawa's father spoke casually, not sounding like an adult at all.

"I'm here to see my sister," Hiroshi said, stretching his aching legs a bit. The two grew silent for a while as the taxi stopped at a stoplight.

"Good game today," Rukawa's father commented, breaking the silence. Hiroshi grinned.

"Yeah it was. You're an extremely good player."

"You're not bad yourself," Rukawa's father said. Hiroshi wove that compliment off.

"Tell me the truth. I know I'm not that good compared to you."

Rukawa's father grew pensive. "Right. You aren't."

Hiroshi tilted his head at Rukawa's father quizzically. "Excuse me?"

Rukawa's father returned Hiroshi's stare, his eyes not really like his son's— except for that piercing gaze. "The way you guard people…. In terms of one-on-one and help defense, you are outstanding. Not only that, you are very competent when it comes to steals … if anything, I'd just say your rebounding isn't that strong. Also…"

Hiroshi stared at him. "My blocking, right?"

Rukawa's father sighed. "I'd say your blocking is not what it should be, especially for your build. You have long arms that you aren't taking full advantage of. You know how to use them for defending and interrupting passes, but for blocking…"

Hiroshi looked ahead as the taxi pulled to a stop at the hotel that his sister and him were staying at. "What should I do, then?"

Rukawa's father thought for a few seconds. "How about… well, the day after tomorrow is my last day in Tokyo. How about you meet me at the courts again, and I'll see if I can give you some tips."

Hiroshi nodded. "Okay, I'll be there." Hiroshi reached for his wallet, but Rukawa's father stopped him.

"Don't worry, I'll pay. What's your name, by the way?"

"Hiroshi Kazuo."

Rukawa's father patted Hiroshi on the shoulder. "It was nice meeting you, Hiroshi. I'll see you."

"Right," Hiroshi said, stepping out. Hiroshi watched the taxi speed off in wonder as he walked back into the hotel.

_I wonder what the other guys are up to…_ Hiroshi thought, scratching his head as he climbed the stairs to the floor his room was at, still dazed at all that had happened.

* * *

"Pathetic." 

"Damnit, that's the best I can do!"

Sakuragi was getting annoyed at Mitsui, who was acting even more uptight that Akagi ever was. Mitsui was a very demanding teacher, and it seemed to rear its head even more now that Sakuragi was going to have to spend so many days with the sharpshooter. Mitsui would more often than not toss an insult Sakuragi's way (possibly because he was still bitter about not going with the rest of the team) when Sakuragi screwed up. The Sakuragi Army was strangely quiet, just helping with tossing basketballs to the duo while Takamiya recorded Sakuragi's actions.

Mitsui sighed, motioning for the ball. Youhei casually tossed it over, and Mitsui shot the ball with a flick of the wrist, banking it off the corner of the backboard before it dropped through the net.

"Get your aim right. You don't look natural at all when you shoot these bankshots."

"Micchi, we've been doing nothing but bankshots!" Sakuragi complained as Noma tossed a ball over to him. Sakuragi shot again, and the ball bounced off the backboard but missed the rim completely, having been thrown with too much force.

"Maybe it's because you're so bad at them," Mitsui said dryly, making another bankshot with ease. "During in-game situations, you never know when it would be better to just bank a shot over a defender. It has a much higher percentage of going in, if you get proficient at using the backboard. Besides, since you're going to be playing in the post a bit more, using the backboard can really help."

Sakuragi glowered as he shot again. The ball got caught between the rim and the backboard as the Sakuragi Army burst into laughter.

"Haha! What was that, Hanamichi?!" Ookusu laughed, clutching his sides. Mitsui sighed again, walking under the basket and throwing a ball up, freeing the trapped basketball.

"Aim for a point on the backboard and just predict the path of the ball, Sakuragi. Banking shots in just takes some practice. If you can shoot jump shots, you can make bank shots."

Sakuragi shot again, and promptly missed again. The shot didn't seem to be improving at all.

Mitsui considered Sakuragi for a moment. "Okay, that does it. Enough bank shots for now. Takamiya, could you set up that tape and let Sakuragi see it by tonight?"

"Sure," Takamiya said, switching tapes in the camcorder.

Sakuragi sighed. "What are we going to do now, Micchi?"

Mitsui threw a ball towards Sakuragi. "As Sensei said—the basics. Now do layups."

"Layups?!" Sakuragi exploded. Mitsui gave Sakuragi a glare that stopped the redhead before he could continue into a rant.

"Sakuragi, you can't even do bankshots right now. Don't say that you know basics when you clearly have not mastered them. You're proficient at best; but you haven't shown me that you are any better than that."

Sakuragi returned Mitsui's gaze for a brief moment, then angrily sulked as he dribbled down the lane, throwing in a layup. Mitsui nodded approvingly.

"Good. Now do that for an hour."

"An HOUR?!" Sakuragi as well as the Army gawked at Mitsui. Mitsui shrugged.

"Have fun." Mitsui wandered off to the other side of the court with a ball, suddenly stopping at midcourt as if he thought of something.

"When you're done, you'll help me rebound my missed shots."

Sakuragi gritted his teeth in suppressed anger as Mitsui continued off. Finally, Sakuragi slumped a bit in acceptance, turning his gaze back towards the rim.

_Damn Micchi… damn Micchi! I'll show him!_ Sakuragi burst into a run and laid the ball in, knowing he couldn't protest until he really did surpass the old Sakuragi.

* * *

Hiroshi burst into a run and laid the ball in, waiting for Rukawa's father. Hiroshi had spent the other day just hanging with his sister, and the two had wandered the city, just chatting. Hiroshi was slightly curious as to why Ayame wanted to meet in Tokyo, but didn't press the issue and the two had just enjoyed each other's company. Now Hiroshi was just waiting around the courts, since Rukawa's father didn't set an exact time to meet him. The sun was shining brightly, and Hiroshi was already getting kind of tired. 

_Might as well rest…_ Hiroshi thought, moving to a shady area and sat down on the concrete floor. Sweat dripped down his face as he wiped his forehead with the back of his arm. Hiroshi then leaned back and promptly fell asleep, ball still under his arm.

About an hour later, Rukawa's father showed up and found the sleeping Hiroshi. He simply shook his head in disbelief, then nudged Hiroshi with his foot.

"Hey. Wake up."

Hiroshi's eyes fluttered open, and he sat up. "Oh. Hello."

Rukawa's father chuckled. "I hope you didn't pick up a habit like that from my son. Even he doesn't sleep out like that."

Hiroshi smiled in apology. "Sorry."

Rukawa's father took off his business jacket, and Hiroshi suddenly realized that Rukawa's father had come out of a meeting or work, because he was dressed formally. Hiroshi instantly felt guilty.

"Um…"

Rukawa's father saw Hiroshi's discomfort. "Don't worry. I took the afternoon off." He took off his tie and rolled up his sleeves, then jerked his head towards the court. "Come on, let's play."

Hiroshi picked himself off the floor, his mind suddenly filled with questions as to why Rukawa's father was doing so much for him. However, he didn't get a chance to ask as Rukawa's father motioned for Hiroshi to shoot. Hiroshi nodded, and just as he was about to shoot, Rukawa's father was instantly in front of him, guarding tightly. Hiroshi flinched, and in another second the ball was knocked loose from his hands. Hiroshi was in disbelief as Rukawa's father chased down the loose ball, throwing it back to Hiroshi.

"That was amazing."

Rukawa's father looked at him seriously. "That was experience. I'm sure you know you can't pick up quick hands and such unless you've played your share of basketball."

Hiroshi nodded. "So, what are you going to teach me today?"

Rukawa's father laughed. "Defense, something that my son strongly dislikes."

Hiroshi looked at Rukawa's father curiously. Rukawa's father saw his confusion, and continued.

"I suppose you think it's strange I'm doing so much in trying to teach you.

Forgive me. I'd say that what I'm doing is selfish, because all I really want to do is see my son succeed, and I see that you can help Shohoku more than some may think. Besides, I didn't expect to see you here in Tokyo, so I figured it would be a good opportunity to just play you and see how good you were."

Hiroshi shook his head. "It's not that selfish. I'm sure all parents just want the best for their children."

Rukawa's father nodded. "Maybe. Either way, my son loved basketball ever since he was a child. I suppose I had a hand in making it like that, since I played in high school and college and never gave up on my love for the sport. When Rukawa was younger, I took him to America during one of my business trips, and we saw an NBA game there."

"Ever since then, Rukawa was driven to someday play amongst the best of the best. Rukawa deviated from my playing style; when I was younger, I was only played in games for my defense. I was just a defensive specialist, nothing more. So when I played my son, I would shut him down completely. And the more I stopped him, the more he wanted to break my defense… so as he learned defense from me, he honed his offensive game just to beat me. I'd still say he slacks off too much in defense unless it was a strong opponent, though," Rukawa's father smiled.  
_  
No wonder Rukawa is so explosive and such a complete player…_ Hiroshi thought. _He learned defense from someone like his father, and his offensive game came naturally from his attempt to become the best in Japan…_

Rukawa's father continued, staring past Hiroshi as he reflected on something. "When he reached middle school, my work became much more involved, so there's just less time to spend with him. And though I never got to see much of his playing," Rukawa's father motioned for the ball from Hiroshi, who tossed it absently in his direction, "when I do, it's always great to see that burning desire in his eyes, to be the best there is."

Hiroshi studied Rukawa's father carefully. It was obvious this man had been drowned in work instead of staying with his family. "Did you go to the Sannoh game?"

Rukawa's father looked at Hiroshi. "No, I didn't. His mother told me a bit about it, but neither of us actually went to the game."

_You'd be surprised how good he is now…_ Hiroshi thought. Rukawa's father considered Hiroshi, then quickly drove in towards the basket, catching Hiroshi completely off guard. Hiroshi's instincts took over automatically: Hiroshi stumbled back a bit, at first surprised, then as soon as he got his balance, his body crouched into his defensive position and he followed Rukawa's father, bodying up against him to prevent him from getting too close to the basket. As soon as Rukawa's father went up for a layup, Hiroshi leaped into the air and swatted the ball out of his hands, blocking the shot. Rukawa's father was sent tumbling onto the floor as Hiroshi managed to catch himself with his hands, the two carried by momentum.

Rukawa's father pushed himself up, wincing. "Good block."

Hiroshi was already standing, his hand held out to help Rukawa's father up. "Nah. It was just luck."

Rukawa's father chuckled. "Maybe I'm getting old."

Hiroshi thought carefully. _I suppose we got a bit too personal there… no wonder he decided to just change the subject…_

"Hey."

Hiroshi snapped out of his daze. "Yes?"

Rukawa's father was moving to get the ball. "Being a good defender… doesn't mean you have to have lots of blocks. Remember that first. Blocks are always good to have, but it's nothing impressive if you can't shut down a player."

Hiroshi nodded. "Okay."

Rukawa's father casually picked the ball up. "Don't always use your dominant hand to block, either. Think about using your left hand against the right-handed shooters, or your right against the lefties when you challenge a shot. When they go up for a shot, think of what distracts them, first and foremost. Blocking takes time, and you're going to pick up a share of fouls before you get adapted to it. Sometimes… you can just see it, you can _feel_ when the player is going to release a ball. It's unexplainable."

Hiroshi smiled mischievously, a smile that almost didn't fit his face. "You mean, it's experience."

Rukawa's father looked at Hiroshi in surprise, then laughed. "Yes, that's it. The more you play, the more you realize the little things in the game. For someone like you, with such a build, I'm sure blocking will eventually come to you. Also, never rely on just yourself. Sometimes chasing the opponent into an area when your teammates can help you is also a good idea. I'll teach you what I can today, but the rest…"

_No wonder Mitsui knows so many little tricks when he plays,_ Hiroshi realized. _So, if I keep playing more and more…_

Hiroshi crouched into his defensive posture. "I got it. Let's play."

* * *

"His shooting is getting worse." 

"What can you expect? He hasn't been doing anything but basketball. Fatigue is building up."

Youhei and the Sakuragi Army were chatting as they ate. Mitsui and Sakuragi were in the corner, both wolfing down food as if they had been starved for weeks.

Youhei stared at his udon. "Mitsui is really overworking Sakuragi. Last year, all he had to do was jump shots. Mitsui is now going through everything, from dribbling to passing to rebounding. He even has a schedule written up, and we all camp out in the locker room instead of going home to sleep."

Ookusu laughed. "It's not as if any of us have much to do at home, anyway. Mitsui apparently isn't too close with his parents, either."

Youhei sighed. "Guess you're right. Those one-on-one matches the two have been having are really something though, huh?"

"Too bad Sakuragi gets the stuffing beat out of him," Noma chuckled, slurping his noodles.

Youhei nodded. Mitsui would play Sakuragi one-on-one about twice a day, and there was never a set score that they played up to; it was just competition. However, it was fairly obvious to just about anyone that Mitsui completely dominated the redhead in every single game, with Sakuragi getting in only a few shots while Mitsui unleashed a flurry of jumpers, drives, and threes. If Youhei didn't know any better, he would have thought Mitsui was playing the one-on-one matches for himself; but he constantly offered tips to Sakuragi, and stressed that he likely would not have to deal with players like himself because he would be guarding the opposing center most of the time. Fortunately, Sakuragi was a very flexible player and had the quickness and reaction of much smaller players, so guarding Mitsui was never really a problem per say; it was Mitsui's skill that made Sakuragi seem like nothing.

"Think it's okay for his self-esteem?" Youhei wondered, deciding to dig in to his food. Takamiya snorted.

"Hanamichi's ego won't be disrupted by just a few games. Besides, Mitsui never makes that big of a deal out of the games, he says it's just for practice."

"ALL RIGHT!"

The Army jumped in their seats, then whirled around to see their energetic leader standing on his chair, one foot on the table next to the empty plates and bowls. Mitsui was covering his face in embarrassment, even though there wasn't anyone else around.

"Let's get back to practice!" Sakuragi asserted, leaping off the chair. After a few strides towards the door, though, he suddenly stopped. Mitsui stared at him.

"What's wrong now?"

Sakuragi sheepishly turned back around. "Actually, I'm going to eat just a bit more…"

Mitsui sighed. "Dumbass."

The Sakuragi Army just shook their heads and continued eating, knowing that they would be back to practice sooner than they'd like.


	40. Chapter 39

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Reviews:**

Iron Duke- Ah, I see. Good luck on your games, man—I want to hear good news from you and your team. What position do you play?

Yep, the focus is more on Hiroshi and Hanamachi these few chapters because those two are going to undergo the most training. The team makes an appearance this chapter, but I don't plan to write on them a lot… mostly because Inoue didn't either. Sorry if that's sort of disappointing; but we'll get to the Inter-High matches soon, so don't worry! XD

Yun Fei- Ick. I didn't know what to write about Ayame, so I just ignored her. My bad. And good to see people like Rukawa's father, because I plan to let him appear more. The parents of SD don't get much love.

And I say this for all: YUN FEI WRITES BETTER THAN ME. Hooray.

And what happened to your fic.? I can't find the link to your homepage on your profile anymore.

Laziness Incarnate- What, Miss Nice Lady? I can't hear anything over your niceness. XD

Whoa, thanks for bringing up Sakuragi's lack of presence in the post. Again, you have a keen eye for basketball. ;) And thanks for your compliment, although I'm still tentative over writing about OCs.

Thanks for the review, and your new story was GREAT. It again proved your writinggodly.

Mitra1- Eh… his role won't be really large. I mostly split it in two chapters because I wanted game in one chapter, bonding in the second. But yeah, I guess I should have combined the two somehow and given you guys more stuff to read.

Oh, as for Sakuragi's flexibility, I meant it more in basketball terms than as a person. Sakuragi's flexibility comes in that he can play more positions despite his size, and he can adapt to the basketball situations better than most, like you said. And because Sakuragi is a stubborn butthead as a person, as you sort of mentioned. XD Thanks for the review.

Migo- Thanks man. Been watching the NBA lately? I think Carlos Arroyo is a good pickup for the Pistons, but they aren't doing as well as I thought they would.

Addicted to SD- Thanks a lot for the review! And even though I told you guys to have patience, I think I'm making you guys wait too long for new chapters… sorry.

Adjustment- Yep, Rukawa's father has the basketball genes! :P Thanks for the review.

The Laughing Man- MWHAHAHA! Glad you caught that. Since Sakuragi learns so fast, who better to let him emulate than the Big Fundamental himself? XD

It's great to hear from you again. What happened to you, dude?

Linxi- Link sent, thanks for the review, and I'm sorry that you don't understand some of the basketball terms I use… I'll try and make it less technical.

Yoka- I guess your review got caught off? O.o Thanks anyway, though!

* * *

**Chapter 39 – Struggle**

"Thanks for everything."

"Sure."

Hiroshi bowed to Rukawa's father, who was putting his jacket back on.

"Maybe I'll see you at the Nationals," Rukawa's father said, his back turned as a taxi pulled up. "Just keep working hard, all right?"

"Okay," Hiroshi nodded.

"Tell my son I miss him, although I'm sure he knows." Rukawa's father stepped into the taxi, and waved idly. Hiroshi raised his hand, and the taxi sped off.

Hiroshi sighed. It was still almost… unfathomable. The chance of Hiroshi having Rukawa's father at this exact week was almost nonexistent, yet…

_It's a small world, like everyone says,_ Hiroshi smiled, staring at the basketball in his arms. Rukawa's father didn't teach Hiroshi much, per say: mostly how to position his body and the little things involved. However, it was still enlightening to Hiroshi, and Rukawa's father had stressed before they even began that he couldn't really teach Hiroshi much, saying Hiroshi would figure out everything on his own eventually. If anything, he sounded exactly like Hiroshi trying to explain defense to Sakuragi.

"Crap! I got to get back!" Hiroshi suddenly remembered his sister, and began running to the hotel, the sound of the dribbling ball on the pavement his only company.

* * *

"Shit…" Miyagi balled his fist in disgust, sitting on the sidelines. Shohoku was about to lose its first game against Josei High, as the opposing team point guard wound time down.

Ayako placed a comforting hand on Miyagi's shoulder, not minding the sweat. "Listen, it's okay…"

Miyagi sighed, trying to relax. Miyagi had taken a hit to the head and suffered a minor concussion, which was why he had to leave the game near the end of the first half. Miyagi had tried to run down to where the centers were battling for the rebound, and instead had taken an unintentional elbow to the forehead. As soon as Miyagi left the game, the Shohoku team completely changed; the offensive rhythm was disrupted, and the team had slowly found Josei High pulling away.

Rukawa gripped the ball tightly as he moved right, only to run into a double team. Rukawa gritted his teeth, not losing his dribble as he tried to split the double team, but realized in mid-dribble he couldn't. The ball hanging in his hand turned into a crossover, as Rukawa tried to veer left. The Josei High player reached in, and Rukawa quickly spun on his pivot foot, getting open for a brief moment. Rukawa quickly jumped and released the ball in a lightning fast jumper that left his hand before the two players guarding him had a chance to recover; however, the ball hit the front of the rim, coming up short. Kakuta couldn't take the offensive rebound, and the Josei High center took it instead.

Rukawa didn't articulate it, but he had realized that without Miyagi, it was much harder for him to operate in the offense. Rukawa had gotten used to getting Miyagi's smooth passes, as Miyagi knew all of the players' comfort zones. As soon as Miyagi had left, Rukawa and Yasuda had become the main offense for the team… which was not saying much, as Yasuda was not much of a defensive nor offensive threat—simply a role player. And since Rukawa was more of a one-on-one player, it was a bit harder for him to get past the Josei High defense. It was obvious why Anzai kept sending Shohoku to face Josei High; they were definitely a strong team that played hard.

Miyagi stood up, and Ayako looked at him oddly. "Where are you going?"

"The lockers. There's no point in me staying anymore."

Ayako smacked him on the head with her fan. "What the heck does that mean? You're the captain, so you better stay even if you can't play. Don't you see that as soon as you leave, it's as if you forfeit the game to the opposing team?"

Miyagi stared at Ayako, now embarrassed. She was right, as usual.

"Sorry," Miyagi mumbled, sitting back down. Miyagi sighed again.

_Akagi… would you have played on?_ Miyagi thought, turning his attention back to the game. _…Of course you would have. But me… I don't even know if I can beat your record last year against these guys…_

The few fans in the building clapped as the Josei High team scored again. Time was almost up. Yasuda threw the ball in for the final possession of the game, and Rukawa took the ball upcourt. Rukawa breathed in slightly and again charged forward, drawing the double team again. This time Rukawa found the open man, throwing a firm pass to Kuwata. Kuwata moved in and threw up a floater that went in just as the buzzer sounded, ending the match. The sparse crowd again clapped, knowing it wasn't too easy to make buzzer beaters.

Miyagi stood, ready to go to center court to shake hands with the players. "Hey, Aya-chan…"

Ayako looked up at Miyagi. "Hm?"

Miyagi didn't look down towards her as he tossed his towel aside. "I'll never let us lose this badly ever again. I'll make sure Shohoku never suffers another humiliating loss like this."

Miyagi quickly walked off, as Ayako smiled slightly.

_Blaming yourself again, Ryota? Well, I guess you can't help it, even though it's not your fault… all the starters on our team takes losses personally…_ Ayako stretched as she stood up, adjusting her cap.

_The starters… I wonder how Sakuragi's training is coming along…_ Ayako wondered as Miyagi solemnly shook the Josei High players' hands, his vow still sitting silently in his head.

* * *

"Okay, the drop step."

Mitsui leaned against Sakuragi, posting up on the much taller player.

"I'm sure Akagi taught you some post moves, but you probably forgot. Anyway, the drop step is like this…"

Mitsui pressed against Sakuragi again, then faked towards the other direction before taking a step backward with his right foot then spinning quickly on the right pivot foot, going baseline. Sakuragi tried to steal, but realized that Mitsui now had the ball on his left side, keeping his body between Sakuragi and the ball. Mitsui stopped his dribble, taking a long stride and laid the ball in.

Sakuragi stared in awe. "Wow… that wasn't traveling?"

Mitsui stared at Sakuragi and sighed. "Of course not. Use your pivot foot. Pivot," Mitsui said, pointing down towards his right foot. "Either foot can be used as the pivot foot, but you can't change the foot after you stop your dribble. For instance, if I spun on my right foot, I can't spin on my left, or else that would be a travel."

"For the drop step, use the foot that is closer to the baseline. You basically fake, and if the opponent falls for it, then take a step back with your pivot foot then spin on it. This is, of course, only to be used if you have room, and you have to be quick or else the opponent can just step back and will be in front of you. Keep good judgment, too. If the defender is defending you closer to the baseline, it's better to drop step towards the lane, and vice versa. If you don't, you won't even be able to use the drop step effectively."

Sakuragi rubbed his chin. "I see Micchi, I see…"

"Good. Then you try."

The two switched positions, and Sakuragi held the ball this time. He leaned his back against Mitsui then spun on his pivot foot. Even Mitsui was caught off guard by his speed, as Sakuragi blew past Mitsui and went up for a quick dunk.

"Haha, I did it!" Sakuragi laughed. Mitsui smiled.

For a guy with his athleticism, he should do okay against most centers… 

"And not only that, did you notice? The drop step keeps your body between the ball and the defender, so that way the only way the other person can block you is from behind or across your body… which should help draw fouls. Just be sure not to run out of room beneath or around the basket, or else it becomes troublesome…" Mitsui said.

Sakuragi grinned. "Don't worry about it, Micchi."

"Oh really?" Mitsui threw the ball back towards Sakuragi. Sakuragi jumped and shot a bank shot that was a bit too strong, hitting the backboard but bouncing off the front rim.

Mitsui nodded. "At least your bank shot is getting better. Those videos that Takamiya made helped?"

"Yep!" Sakuragi said energetically. Mitsui raised an eyebrow.

"You seem lively. Wait, what's that smell?" Mitsui sniffed the air tentatively. "I think… I think I smell a one-on-one game."

Sakuragi instantly frowned. "What the hell, Micchi?"

Mitsui grinned devilishly, throwing the ball to Sakuragi. "Take it out. We still have a few days left. I want to make sure that by the time we're done, the Inter-Highs won't know what hit them when Shohoku plays."

* * *

"How is it?"

"Mm. Pretty good."

Hiroshi wolfed down the food in the restaurant that Ayame had taken him to, not pausing for anything except for the drinks of water in between. Ayame sighed, smacking Hiroshi on the head from across the table.

"Pretty good? Have some manners, stupid. You're eating like no one has fed you for days."

Hiroshi bowed his head in apology, a welt already forming. "Sorry."

Ayame waved her hand flippantly. "Whatever, stupid. Just don't do it again."

Hiroshi tried to pace himself as he ate this time. Ayame stared at him, not touching her food that much. Hiroshi finally noticed her stare and looked up.

"What, Nee-san? Is there something on my face?"

Ayame giggled. "You've really grown up. I don't know what it is, but you definitely look older."

Hiroshi sighed. "You make me sound like a geezer."

"I didn't mean it that way… stupid," Ayame smiled, and Hiroshi couldn't help smiling back.

Ayame looked back at Hiroshi expectantly, her voice suddenly changing tone. "Hey…"

Hiroshi met his sister's gaze. "Hm?"

Ayame leaned back in her seat, biting her lip as she thought over something. Hiroshi waited patiently, and eventually Ayame sighed.

"Hiroshi, I was feeling really nostalgic at work lately. I'm glad to be able to spend time with you again."

Hiroshi nodded. "I'm always happy to be with you."

Ayame took in a breath. "Don't you remember yet? Why we're in Tokyo…"

Hiroshi shook his head. "I can't remember."

Ayame reached her hand across the table, placing it gently on Hiroshi's head. "Try. You were little when we last came here."

Hiroshi thought deeply. _I was little? Well, we grew up in Kanagawa, which is near Tokyo… then my parents died… then my sister found work in Narita… then…_

Hiroshi sort of got it. "Does it have to do with Mom and Dad?"

Ayame nodded. "Right."

Hiroshi stared down at his food. "Sorry. I can't remember."

Ayame smiled sadly. "I didn't expect you to remember anything more than that. You were in elementary school, anyway. Mom and Dad are buried here, Hiroshi."

Hiroshi looked at Ayame. "…What?"

Ayame nodded. "They grew up in Tokyo and were buried here. We only came once, and that was right after they died. So that's why you…"

Hiroshi grimaced. "Sorry… I didn't remember… I never even bothered asking…"

Ayame slapped his head playfully. "Stop blaming yourself. It's because I haven't taken you here since we were little. Anyway, while I was feeling nostalgic, I just figured we should go see Mom and Dad. You're already in high school, and I'm sure they'd like to see you."

Hiroshi nodded. "Sure, of course I want to go see them."

Ayame shrugged. "Just telling you."

Hiroshi looked at Ayame oddly. "Do I seem like the type of person that wouldn't agree? Why didn't you tell me from the start?"

Ayame's smile somehow grew even sadder, and Hiroshi hurt to look at it. Hiroshi finally saw the loneliness in Ayame's smile… a girl that didn't have time or money to go to college, a girl that didn't grow up in a normal family, a girl forced to grow up too fast. Ayame acted cheerful and teased Hiroshi often, but…

"I just… I wasn't sure I wanted to see them either. Sometimes, Hiroshi, I just feel so… angry at them, you know? I don't get a chance to be with my brother or my friends or look for a boyfriend. I just work and work… and we barely see each other… if they hadn't died, you could have had a better life," Ayame finished. The two were silent for a moment.

"Sorry to vent."

"No… it's not your fault," Hiroshi replied dully. _Why is it that good people have the hardest life? Why couldn't someone like my sister just be a normal girl?_

Ayame finally started on her food, which was already lukewarm. Hiroshi's appetite was already nonexistent after the talk they had, and he simply excused himself for a moment so he could step outside. Hiroshi leaned against the wall of the building, looking at the stars and thought of nothing but his sister, his mind far from basketball.


	41. Chapter 40

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews:

Emberlion- Hi there! How goes the story? It's been a while since we last talked!

Yeah, I always believed character growth was important, and so I'm trying to get all the characters to grow a bit, or in Mitsui case, discover his own talents again. I'm glad to see Rukawa's father was received so well.

Thanks for reviewing, hope to hear from you again!

Yun Fei- Glad to see you liked the chapter.

Ayame is really just more of a view into Hiroshi's family life, and although Ayame won't be really shown too much, I just felt it was appropriate for her to be shown in the story.

Argh! Poor Yun Fei. I hope school stops mistreating you so you can do stuff you like. It doesn't have to be writing; I just hope you can have more fun in life.

Just take the story slow, and don't rush anything. I'm sure you'll do a great job when you come back with it. And you definitely deserve my compliments because as I said:

YUN FEI WRITES BETTER THAN ME.

Take care, and thanks for the review!

Hellsing- Not a super center, just a competent one. ;) Yeah the chapter was a bit short, but I just felt it was appropriate to end it there. Thanks for the review!

Migo- Ah, like the Kings and Pistons? Yep, they're good teams, and the Pistons are definitely not doing as well as I thought. I hope Arroyo will be a good fit for them.

Yeah, the chapter was short. I was going to write more, but I thought that the way it ended with Hiroshi was a good ending and I didn't want to ruin the mood, you know? And yeah, it's just been glimpses at everyone; but hey, at least the IH matches are going to start soon! XD Thanks for the review man.

Iron Duke- I like the Spurs a lot this year too. Actually I like a lot of the teams, so neh.

Oh, shooting guard? Cool, cool. I hope you guys do well with the team man. Tell me how things go. Thanks for the review too.

Mitra1- Thanks for the review; and in case you're curious, it's just glimpses at the characters in such as they get ready for the IH matches, which should start in a few more chapters.

* * *

**Chapter 40 – Shohoku Team, Reunited**

Sakuragi sighed as Mitsui and himself wandered the streets of Kanagawa.

_One day rest, Mitsui had asserted after he woke Sakuragi up in the locker room. We only have one day left after this. After today's rest, I'm going to work you to your limit tomorrow. Then… then, you'll just have to show everyone how your training paid off._

The past few days (last days too, Sakuragi had noted without any particular joy) with Mitsui had been utter hell for Sakuragi. Non-stop training, learning basic post moves, working on fundamentals (which had taken up the bulk of practice time), and the worst part of Sakuragi's day: going one-on-one with Mitsui. It wasn't that he minded playing Mitsui; Sakuragi cared more about being beaten so completely by Mitsui each time that it often shot down his hopes of getting better. The new techniques Mitsui had taught him hadn't helped at all when he actually played Mitsui.

Still… Sakuragi couldn't deny he would miss this time they had together. Last year's training had been impersonal; Sakuragi had done nothing but jump shots while the Sakuragi Army had passed him balls and Haruko had helped check his progress. This year, Mitsui would often banter with Sakuragi as he taught him, and although he was much more strict than Akagi, it was better to have someone to talk to. Not only that, the Sakuragi Army still stuck around and dropped by once in a while; Mitsui had shooed them away after the first three days, but Sakuragi was always glad to see them come by.

_Haruko…_ Sakuragi thought longingly for a brief moment, but then realized what he was doing and quickly tried to jump into conversation with Mitsui.

"Hey, Micchi."

Mitsui didn't look over at Sakuragi as he strode down the street in casual clothes, hands in his pockets. "Yeah?"

"What do you think the Inter-Highs will be like this year?"

Mitsui shrugged casually. "Don't know. All I know is that we'll win."

Sakuragi laughed loudly, drawing looks from other people. Mitsui sweatdropped and turned his head away, trying to look like he didn't know Sakuragi.

"That goes without saying, Micchi! I was just wondering, now that Kainan isn't going this year…"

"Right. It'll be a different feel. If anything, Sakuragi, you should think that now Kainan isn't there to knock off some of the tougher teams, that it will be our job to do so."

"Huh. Good point, Micchi."

The two continued walking aimlessly in silence.

"How do you think Hiro and Ryo-chin are doing?"

Mitsui again shrugged. "Beats me. Last year we had some trouble against Josei High, so I'll be surprised if Miyagi can bring home the same record as Akagi last year. He's playing with less people than last year, not to mention he only has Rukawa to help. Last year we had four out of the five starters, this year he only has two."

"This Tensai could have gone both years," Sakuragi grumbled under his breath. Mitsui glanced at Sakuragi.

"Sakuragi. The Inter-Highs will be a completely new experience for you now. You will be going against some of the best high school centers in all of Japan. There's no way in hell what I taught you these past few days will be enough if you just rely on them—you're definitely going to have to learn on your own along the way. Akagi had a massive repertoire of low-post moves, while you have only a few. The only advantage over Akagi that you have is that you aren't restricted to the post and can shoot the open jumper. Trust me when I say that we need you and the whole team to work together more than ever," Mitsui sighed, looking up at the sky. "We can't just rely on talent anymore. No matter how good we are now, last year…"

Sakuragi scoffed. "Don't worry, Micchi. I'm already better than the Sakuragi of last year!"

Mitsui didn't answer him for a moment as he contemplated something. Mitsui then finally gave Sakuragi a long, serious look that forced Sakuragi to turn his attention to Mitsui.

"Maybe. But you still aren't better than Akagi. Remember how much trouble Akagi had against that Sannoh center last year? You'll only see people better than that." Mitsui turned away. "Anzai-sensei said you had to surpass Akagi. I guess we'll just have to see if you really can."

Awkward silence. Sakuragi turned Mitsui's words over in his head a bit.

Mitsui was definitely right. Kawata Masashi had destroyed Akagi for most of the game, and only until the end did Akagi show his true ability… and yet even then, Akagi had still looked like what other centers looked like when they played against Gori: inferior.

And then… there was that guy. That first year center that was dubbed an absolute monster by everyone, and had knocked Sakuragi down with one shoulder at the Aiwa High game that Sakuragi, Maki, and Kiyota had gone to together: Morishige Hiroshi. Undoubtedly, there would be many, many star centers that Sakuragi would have to face. People that might even make Akagi seem like nothing.

_If I can't be better than Gori…_ Sakuragi thought_. Can Shohoku really expect to win?_

"Let's stop here."

Sakuragi snapped out of his thoughts and saw where they were.

"Pachinko?"

Mitsui grinned. "Miyagi told me you liked this sort of stuff. Plus…"

"Hanamichi!"

Sakuragi turned to the new voice. "Youhei! Guys!"

The Sakuragi Army walked up to their leader, enthusiastic to finally get to have fun like the old days.

"…I invited the other guys," Mitsui finished.

Sakuragi smacked Mitsui on the back. "Thanks a lot, Micchi! Let's go in!"

"I think I'll go to the bookstore nearby," Mitsui declared, pointing to a small store across the street. Sakuragi shrugged.

"Okay, we'll come get you when we're done. Let's go, guys!" Sakuragi charged into the pachinko parlor with the Army, and Mitsui chuckled as he went off on his own.

* * *

Hiroshi stood at the graves of his parents, with Ayame by his side. The fragrant smell of incense was burning, and there was food and fruit laid out over the grave. The two siblings had washed the tombstone, and now the two were in the midst of praying.

_Hey Mom… Hey Dad…_ Hiroshi thought quietly, holding the sticks of incense between his two hands. _Sorry it took me so long to see you…_

There was nothing but silence as the two siblings prayed, with the few chirps of birds sprinkled around. After a while, Ayame started crying, her right hand clasped over her mouth to prevent the sounds of the sobs escaping her lips. Hiroshi didn't notice, as his eyes were closed and he was deep in thought as he "talked" to his parents.

By the time Hiroshi finally opened his eyes, Ayame had dried her tears and was waiting patiently for her younger brother. Hiroshi saw Ayame's bloodshot eyes and red face but opted not to say anything. Ayame cocked her head questioningly, and Hiroshi nodded, agreeing they should leave. As they began walking out, Hiroshi gave a final lingering glance towards the two graves, and silently promised he would be back as soon as possible.

Hiroshi quickly fell in step with Ayame as they exited the graveyard. Ayame heaved a long, slightly shaky sigh.

"You okay?"

Ayame glanced at Hiroshi and gave him a small reassuring smile. "Of course, stupid. It's just that… it was more emotional than I thought it would be."

"Yeah," Hiroshi agreed as the two headed for the bus stop. Ayame looked over at her brother and sighed again.

"You have to head back today, huh?"

"Sorry," Hiroshi said apologetically. Ayame smiled with more emotion this time.

"Don't apologize. I need to get back to work too. I guess we'll go back to the hotel and you can get your stuff. I think the train leaves sometime this evening."

"Mm."

Hiroshi innocently draped an arm around Ayame and pulled her close as the silhouette of a bus appeared ahead of them. Ayame looked up questioningly at her brother, not minding the show of affection.

"Don't worry about anything. I'll think of something."

"Worry about what?" Ayame wondered. Hiroshi didn't answer as he squeezed her briefly, and then let her go.

"Come on." Hiroshi walked up towards the bus, walking slower than he could so Ayame wasn't too far behind.

* * *

"Finally…" Miyagi sighed as he stretched his fatigued body out on the train. Rukawa sat next to him on their return trip, as Ayako was chatting with Yasuda about the team two rows in front of the two Shohoku starters. Rukawa gave Miyagi a sidelong glance but didn't say anything to the point guard.

Miyagi began to feel uncomfortable with the silence the two were having. He knew Rukawa could talk (and Rukawa had been talking a lot more this year than in his freshman year), but the forward still didn't say much.

"How do you think Hanamichi and Mitsui are doing?" Miyagi grinned, looking over at Rukawa. Rukawa shrugged, and another silence settled down. Miyagi shifted a bit uncomfortably.

"Those last two games were pretty killer, huh? You feeling tired?" A shake of the head. Still no vocal response.

Miyagi threw his hands up, as if he was surrendering. Miyagi looked at the window as his hands fell onto his knees, not noticing that Rukawa was deep in thought.

"How are things with Haruko?"

Rukawa tensed a bit, but Miyagi didn't see it.

"I mean, Sakuragi was wild over her. Maybe it's better that he can take his mind off her a bit. You know, focus on basketball more. I'm sure she'd make a good girlfriend and all, but you know—"

"Captain."

Miyagi turned to Rukawa. "Yeah?"

Rukawa looked as if he was about to say something more, but instead looked away. "You're babbling."

"Oh… sorry."

Miyagi looked back out the window. _I don't know why I even bother. If Rukawa wants to talk, he does it on his own. I can't force him to—_

"That last pass…"

Miyagi's attention was perked. He shifted his eyes over.

"That pass last night… second half. The one when you split the double team." A longer pause, and Rukawa just said it straightforwardly. "It was very good."

A simple compliment that belied its weight. Hell, Miyagi didn't even remember the pass he made; but coming from Rukawa, he knew it meant a lot. From a guy who has received thousands upon thousands of passes, a star player who was expected to have the ball, a guy who had so many different people pass to him… for Rukawa to say something like that just to Miyagi... it was huge. Miyagi knew it was.

"No problem," Miyagi replied, sounding nonchalant. "We expect you to have the ball, right?"

Rukawa turned away, choosing to end the conversation as he went deep into thought again. Miyagi sighed and once again turned his gaze to stare outside, the sky already darkening.

* * *

Sakuragi looked at Mitsui in surprise as Mitsui simply dropped the ball off at Sakuragi's feet. Today was the last day of training, and Sakuragi had expected Mitsui to give him an ass-kicking, both literally and figuratively; especially after what Mitsui said yesterday morning. However, today there was just one ball, and Mitsui nodded at him.

"This is it. Play me one-on-one, one last time. The guys will be here soon to check up on us, I'm sure. Anzai told me they all got back last night."

Sakuragi palmed the ball and picked it up. Sakuragi couldn't really explain it, but the ball was beginning to feel very familiar; it was as if he understood it, after so many days of practicing. Sakuragi flipped it casually over to Mitsui with the same hand, and Mitsui likewise caught it.

"Use everything I taught you today. Or at least, everything you can remember; I don't want you to force anything. Play up to 7." Mitsui bounced the ball at Sakuragi, and Sakuragi tapped it back, kneeling down in defensive position. This was it.

Mitsui used a quick head fake and drove left. Sakuragi slid along, managing to stay in front of Mitsui. Mitsui, however, was far too crafty to be defended by someone simply staying in front of him; Mitsui paused his dribble and shot a fadeaway that snapped through the net. 1-0.

"Come on!" Mitsui yelled at Sakuragi. Sakuragi checked the ball with Mitsui, and Mitsui again did the same thing; except this time Sakuragi stayed much closer, almost bodying up against Mitsui. Mitsui noted this with grim pleasure, as Mitsui now was in a much tougher situation; Sakuragi didn't give him much room to maneuver, and Sakuragi's height was able to block him from having a full view of the basket. Mitsui turned and began backing into Sakuragi, posting up the much larger player. Sakuragi didn't give any ground, but Mitsui quickly spun and shot, bouncing it off the backboard. 2-0.

_At least he was better than before,_ Mitsui thought. _He better step up quick, though, or else I'm going to shut him out…_

Mitsui opted to gamble after he checked the ball with Sakuragi, shooting a three-pointer. Mitsui wasn't surprised to see it swish through the net, although he was surprised to see Sakuragi make such a mistake. 4-0.

"Giving me space for a three? You've been playing so long with me, I thought you knew better." Mitsui suddenly noticed it in Sakuragi's seemingly dull expression; Sakuragi was playing, expecting to lose because Mitsui had beat him so many times before.

"Damnit, Sakuragi!" Mitsui screamed at the redhead. "Are you worrying about losing? It doesn't matter! All that matters is you play your best! Akagi lost and lost and lost, but he never gave up! That's how he became so damn good!" Sakuragi's face changed a bit as he checked the ball with Mitsui again.

Mitsui felt the ball in his hands and shot another three-pointer, and again it was true, although Mitsui felt more pissed off than pleased right now. 6-0.

"Game point," Mitsui said, almost in a whisper. Mitsui now had calmed down a bit, and he began to feel that deadly content feeling in his heart, when he felt good and the basket looked huge. "Sakuragi, don't make me think I've wasted these past few days with you. Get ready."

Mitsui ran forward, dribbling low. Sakuragi this time had energy in his step, and he defended Mitsui very well; so well Mitsui felt a little surprised.

_The guy is over 190 cm, and he's moving as fast as someone much smaller,_ Mitsui thought. Mitsui brought the dribble up, smacking it between his hands as he quickly made a spin move. Mitsui felt the ball left his hands, and knew it was going in.

_It's over, Sakuragi,_ Mitsui thought in disappointment. _Can't believe it ends just like—_

Mitsui's thoughts were interrupted by Sakuragi's hand slapping the ball out of mid-air, with so much force that it hit the backboard and bounced back out to mid-court. Sakuragi was immediately running for it as soon as he landed, showing off his impressive leg power that Masashi had noticed during the Sannoh game.

Sakuragi caught up to the ball and looked at Mitsui, his eyes somehow both playful and serious.

"Micchi, just watch me. This Tensai didn't waste your time."

Sakuragi started with a slow dribble, but as soon as he crossed the free throw line he picked up speed as Mitsui guarded him tightly, hands up to make himself bigger. Sakuragi did a spin move of his own since Mitsui was guarding him so closely, spinning towards the paint as he shot a very controlled shot that swished through. 6-1.

Mitsui nodded with approval as he checked the ball. "Good, you didn't travel."

Sakuragi dribbled back towards the paint without hesitation, which Mitsui again noted with approval. Sakuragi now knew he had to use his size, speed, and strength against other players, and as center, he would do most of his work in the post.

Mitsui tried to hold him back as Sakuragi again posted up on the shooting guard, and managed to do so with great strain. Sakuragi quickly stopped his dribble and turned back around so he was facing the basket, and Mitsui felt the weight of Sakuragi leave his body as Sakuragi lost contact with Mitsui. Sakuragishot again andmade it againbefore Mitsui could defend him. 6-2.

Mitsui checked the ball with Sakuragi, the two already sweating. Sakuragi once again went into the post, except this time Mitsui was guarding him so well he couldn't shoot. Sakuragi shot a pressured shot from under the rim that bounced off the front. However, Sakuragi outrebounded Mitsui and shot again, and missed. Rebound. Shot again. 6-3.

_Damn,_ Mitsui thought. _Whoever has to guard Sakuragi is going to have his hands full… the guy rebounds like a monster…_

Mitsui checked the ball and guarded Sakuragi much tighter, trying to keep him from getting into the post. Sakuragi wasn't able to get in and when he brought the ball down, Mitsui quickly reached in and slapped the ball out of his hands, chasing it down and getting the steal. Mitsui dashed in, trying to catch Sakuragi off guard. Sakuragi's presence, however, managed to distract Mitsui enough for him to miss a running jumper. Sakuragi was first to the ball and ripped down another rebound, dribbling the ball back out.

Mitsui wiped sweat with the back of his hand, crouching down again and trying to keep Sakuragi out of the key. Sakuragi dribbled forward, crossing over slowly to his dominant hand. Mitsui took a step back, and as soon as Sakuragi noticed it, Sakuragi shot a jumper that looked as precise as the final jumper he shot at the Sannoh game. 6-4.

Mitsui didn't lose his cool, calmly checking the ball with Sakuragi. The gym door opened, and a figure walked in.

"Hey guys, I'm back. Here's some—" Hiroshi stopped, the snacks he got along the way frozen in his hands as he saw Sakuragi race in as Mitsui guarded him expertly.

_Wow…_ Hiroshi thought as he watched Sakuragi back into Mitsui, stopping, then turning around and shooting a bank shot that swished in. Mitsui nodded with approval. 6-5.

_Sakuragi is like a different player!_ Hiroshi thought in astonishment as the two players checked the ball again. Hiroshi quickly looked around, and dashed over to the bench Ayako and Anzai usually sat at, sitting down to watch the two.

_And Mitsui is playing incredibly…_ Hiroshi realized as Sakuragi tried to dash in again, but Mitsui had already learned that Sakuragi liked to drive right and was there to meet him. Sakuragi tried to crossover, but Mitsui was easily able to poke the ball away. Sakuragi dove to the floor to save it, but Mitsui took the ball and wretched it out of Sakuragi's hands. Mitsui stepped over the redhead and raced in for a layup as Sakuragi frantically pushed himself up, racing forward in a blur as he managed to tap the ball enough from behind Mitsuito throw the shot off-course. The two watched the ball bounce off the rim and both of them jumped into the air, trying to catch the rebound. Sakuragi won the battle, but as soon as he landed Mitsui again smacked the ball out of his hands, making another steal. Mitsui faked once, and Sakuragi fell for it; he jumped into the air as Mitsui dribbled a bit out to avoid Sakuragi's defense, stared at the rim for a brief second, and shot a smooth jumper that swished through the net. 7-5, game over.

Just as the game ended, the door burst open again. Miyagi, Rukawa, and Ayako walked in, followed by the rest of the Shohoku basketball team.

"Everyone…" Miyagi raised his hand in greeting as Hiroshi stood from his seat. Sakuragi and Mitsui turned to them, breathing heavily.

Miyagi grinned devilishly. "We're back!"


	42. Chapter 41

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews:

Yun Fei- Oh, no need to feel content. It's the truth. XD

It's good to see you're still writing and keeping the creativeness going. I'll look forward to reading your work, whenever that may be. And relax during the holiday, you don't need to write all the time, you know?

Hm. I was about to agree with you, until you said I was better. So I'm afraid I'm going to have to disagree. XD

YUN FEI WRITES BETTER THAN ME.

Addicted to SD- Ha, no problem. Glad to see you're still reading. Thanks for the review.

Iron Duke- Thanks for the review man. Did the season already start for you?

And the Josei High record is mentioned this chapter.

Nikolah16- Thanks for the review. Actually, I think I was missing humor in a lot of chapters, so I'll try and see if I can at least restore that. I made Sakuragi far too serious for my liking.

Laziness Incarnate- Hey! It's been a while.

Thanks for your compliments, and yeah, Sakuragi is one inconsistent player. -.- Glad to hear from you again though, and I hope work isn't treating you too badly.

Flipjeudi- Nah, they'll see how much everyone improved when they actually play (and writing a scrimmage right after everyone got back is sort of… neh). Thanks for the review, though.

Cal Reflector- No, the triangle isn't over in my mind… I have a vague idea of how I want to end it, but that won't happen until near the end or at the end of the fiction, when I'm about to conclude it (and yes, people, I already think I know where to stop the story or at least have a vague idea when I want to end it… how long it takes me to write to that, only time will tell). Thanks a lot for the review and your compliments!

Mitra1- Haha, thanks for the compliment, but you're great for reviewing not only mine, but so many Slam Dunk fictions around! XD We always love reviewers.

Yeah, I want Rukawa to evolve a bit more throughout the whole IH matches, and I'm glad to see you liked it. Thanks for the review and your time.

* * *

**Chapter 41 – Shohoku, D Rank**

Miyagi studied the soaked Sakuragi and Mitsui with curiosity. "Um… what happened?"

Mitsui opened his mouth, but Sakuragi beat him to it. "Tensai training, Ryo-chin! You will soon see just how amazing I've become!" In a flash, he was at Miyagi's side, wrapping his sweaty arm around the point guard's neck.

"See Micchi over there? I pushed him to his limit! But I was gracious, and I let him have this win— he barely beat me! Barely!"

Hiroshi and Mitsui sweatdropped simultaneously.

Miyagi looked at Sakuragi with skepticism. "Right, Hanamichi." Miyagi very carefully lifted Sakuragi's arm from around his shoulders, while Rukawa just stared at them blankly.

The door opened again, and this time the plump coach of Shohoku shuffled in. The team turned to greet him, just as another figure came from behind the coach.

"Hey, Haruko!" Ayako called. Sakuragi's demeanor instantly changed, and his face became a bit downcast. Hiroshi noticed it and quickly coughed.

"Uh, Sakuragi, I'm going to get a drink of water, do you want to come?"

"You guys aren't girls. You don't need to go to the bathroom together," Mitsui commented, but then his brain made the connection. Mitsui winced.

"Oh. I mean, yeah, I'll be there in a second too." Mitsui waved them off, and Hiroshi and Sakuragi quickly went off in the opposite direction. Haruko, however, noticed the redhead and quickly hailed him.

"Sakuragi-kun!"

_Oh. Shit._ Mitsui thought, watching how Sakuragi would react. Haruko, surprisingly, never showed up for the entire practice session, which Mitsui thought was a bit odd. Sakuragi's shoulders slumped a bit, Hiroshi gave him a quick pat on the back, and he instantly straightened and turned.

"Haruko-chan! How are you!" Sakuragi said, with a smile that was all teeth and no emotion. The enthusiasm was there, though.

"Well, I just wanted to—"

"Actually, I really need to go to the bathroom. I'll talk to you later, okay, Haruko-chan?" Sakuragi said politely but briskly, turning around and walking ahead of Hiroshi. Hiroshi shot a glance over at Haruko, who looked confused. Hiroshi sighed and went to catch up with Sakuragi as Rukawa just shook his head.

"How'd you guys do?" Mitsui asked Miyagi, trying to change the subject. Miyagi grinned at his fellow teammate.

"2-1."

"2 losses, 1 win?"

"No. 2 wins, 1 loss."

Mitsui gaped at Miyagi. "What the… that's better than Akagi last year!"

Miyagi's grin didn't falter. "Yeah, it is. It wasn't easy, I'll give you that," Miyagi laughed. Ayako smiled next to him.

"We lost the first game, but the next two games Shohoku really played great. We barely won, but Rukawa and Miyagi really made the effort to win."

Miyagi blushed and scratched the back of his head nervously. "It wasn't anything… and without the other guys, I couldn't have done that well…"

_Wow… either Josei High got weaker this year, or somehow Miyagi managed to bring the team together and escape with the two wins!_ Mitsui thought. Haruko looked timidly at Rukawa.

"Rukawa-kun, I bet you played great… sorry I didn't go."

Rukawa shrugged, uncomfortable. Haruko didn't notice and clasped her hands together.

"I told my brother the news of Shohoku making the IH this year, and he couldn't believe it! I think you guys really shocked him…" Haruko smiled happily. Mitsui was about to comment on that, but Anzai cleared his throat and abruptly the chatter died down.

_Oops… forgot that the coach was there!_ Miyagi thought, tearing his thoughts away from Ayako.

"We leave tomorrow morning for Hiroshima. The ceremonies will be in the afternoon, and we will have that night to rest. Elimination games start the next day," Anzai said. "Use the time you have today however you want. Remember, the only way we can win is if you all believe you can win. To think otherwise breeds but defeat."

Mitsui nodded. _Well said, sensei…_

Miyagi had an uneasy feeling and realized that Anzai was avoiding something. "Wait a second, sensei…"

Ayako looked at Miyagi questioningly at the same time Anzai turned his gaze to the captain of the team. "Yes, Miyagi-kun?"

"What division are we in? Who are our first opponents?"

Anzai didn't say anything. Instead, he turned away from the team, and after a second of thought, he replied simply. "I don't know."

"Sensei, I don't think you're being honest with us."

The gym fell into a dead silence. Ayako held her hands up to her mouth. _Ryota, what are you doing?_

"I remember last year. We got thrown into a hard division, but you didn't say anything, even though you knew. Do you think we haven't grown since then? Do you think we still don't believe in ourselves?"

Anzai didn't answer, and with his back still turned to the team, he left the gym with one statement.

"Show me that you believe in yourselves."

As soon as the gym door closed, Ayako whacked Miyagi on the head with her fan. "What were you doing, Ryota! Questioning the coach like that!"

Mitsui patted Miyagi on the back. "Hey, don't worry. We'll find out tomorrow."

"Rukawa-kun, do you want to do something today?" Haruko asked shyly, ignoring the squabble of the others. Rukawa shrugged, not looking worried that Anzai had not told them whom they were playing against.

"Whatever you like."

Haruko raised a finger to her lip in contemplation. "Hm… let's go for a walk in the park before we decide…"

Rukawa shrugged once again. Haruko smiled, looking a bit more confident as she grasped the sleeve of his Nike jacket. "Shall we go?"

Rukawa looked over at Mitsui, Miyagi, and Ayako. Miyagi shooed them with his hand silently, and the couple walked out of the gym in a rush, along with the rest of the Shohoku team who were also slowly trickling out of the building to go about their own business.

"Actually, I'm free today too… do you want to do anything, Ryota?" Ayako smiled at Miyagi. Mitsui elbowed Miyagi in the ribs, and Miyagi straightened in surprise as if he was struck by lightning.

"Um… what? Uh… I mean… that is…"

"Yes, you idiot," Mitsui said in a stage whisper. Ayako giggled, not looking phased at all.

"Sure. Wherever you want to go. Whatever you like," Miyagi babbled, looking surprised and pleased at the same time.

"Want to come along, Mitsui?" Ayako asked, turning to Mitsui and giving him the same bright smile she had offered Miyagi.

_I see now. She's not asking Miyagi the way I thought she was,_ Mitsui thought. _Too bad. I thought Miyagi could finally stop worrying about what she thinks of him all the damn time. All in due time though, right?_

"No, you guys go on your own," Mitsui said, shoving Miyagi in Ayako's direction. "I'm going to check up on Sakuragi and Hiroshi. They didn't hear the news from Anzai-sensei, anyway."

Ayako nodded understandably and waved as she walked out with Miyagi. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Yeah."

"Later, Mitsui," Miyagi said, a huge grin on his face. Mitsui nodded in his direction, then went off to look for Sakuragi and Hiroshi, the Shohoku gym now oddly quiet.

* * *

"You okay?"

Sakuragi nodded. Hiroshi and Sakuragi had simply snuck to the backside of the gym, not noticing that the team had already left. Hiroshi sighed.

"Look, I know what I say isn't going to make things better. But I can tell you definitely still like Haruko, or else you wouldn't act like that around her."

Sakuragi kicked a nearby pebble. "I know I do."

"Then stop worrying about it. She's going out with Rukawa now," Hiroshi held his hands out helplessly, as if he knew he probably wasn't getting through to Sakuragi. "At least try and act normal around her, man. It's pretty obvious that you're avoiding her. You can't get better from these things overnight. Just let time do its work."

Sakuragi gritted his teeth. _But I can't forget her!_

"You guys call this the bathroom?"

Hiroshi looked up. "Hey, Mitsui-senpai."

Mitsui laughed. "I heard you talking about Rukawa without the senpai. Why suddenly attach it to my name?"

Hiroshi smiled. "If I don't see the person, I just call them by first name. Habit, I guess."

Mitsui nodded over in Sakuragi's direction. "Is he okay?"

"Don't talk like I'm not here!" Sakuragi complained, kicking another pebble. "And I'm okay. Don't worry about this Tensai."

Mitsui gave Sakuragi a long look, then turned back to Hiroshi. "Is he okay?"

"Damnit, what did I just say!" Sakuragi exploded. Hiroshi waved his hand in front of his face, expressing that Sakuragi was not okay. Mitsui nodded, but didn't push the subject anymore.

"Anyway, I came out to tell you guys that we meet here tomorrow morning, and we'll be off to Hiroshima. Game starts the day after."

"Thanks for telling us. I wouldn't have known," Hiroshi smiled nervously. "How are the Inter-Highs, anyway?"

"Don't worry about it, you shouldn't have much trouble," Mitsui said, thinking back to how calm Hiroshi always was. _If Hiroshi doesn't know what to expect, he never gets worried… that's the way he's acted before every game…_

"So, do we have the day off today?" Hiroshi asked. Mitsui nodded.

"All right. I guess I'll get some sleep."

Mitsui's eyes widened. "It's not even noon yet!"

Hiroshi smiled again. "Sorry, but I'm just so nervous and excited that if I stay awake, I think I'm going to throw up or something."

Mitsui looked at Hiroshi in shock, then returned Hiroshi's smile with understanding. _Ah, so that's why he's always sleeping before we play other teams; he's nervous. How interesting. I always thought Hiroshi was the calmest of all of us, next to Rukawa..._

"Well, see you guys tomorrow then." Hiroshi turned, and Mitsui rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, Hiroshi. Did you get some practice when you were in Tokyo? What can we expect?"

Hiroshi bit back a smile. "Even I don't know."

Hiroshi waved as he sauntered off, leaving Mitsui in confusion. _He doesn't know? What does that mean?_

"Well, do you want to do anything, Sakuragi? If not, I'll just go home and be bored."

Sakuragi shrugged. "I can go get Youhei and we can think of something to do."

"You're on," Mitsui said. Sakuragi turned and the two began walking for Youhei's apartment.

_Last year… I was with Haruko shopping for new shoes after the training,_ Sakuragi thought nostalgically. _We should pay that shoe-store owner a visit sometime… I'm sure he's wondering how I'm doing… and I rememberhe teased me about Haruko being my girlfriend…_ Sakuragi smiled deep in his heart, remembering those times.

"Sakuragi, are you really okay?" Mitsui asked seriously, feeling that he should have some concern for his friend. Sakuragi snapped out of his daydream and laughed.

"I guess Hiro said it best: even I don't know."

* * *

"So uh… how exactly are we going to find out who we're playing? I didn't think you were talking about seeing the matchups when we actually got to Hiroshima and saw the bulletin board like last year."

The train sped along as the Shohoku team conversed amongst each other.Haruko was still in Kanagawa,but promised the team she would be there for thematches. The Sakuragi Army likewise promised Sakuragi the same thing.Mitsui reached into his bag and pulled out a magazine.

"This. I bought this when I went out with Sakuragi before our last day of training. I saw it at a bookstore and decided to pick it up," Mitsui looked at his teammates seriously. "I decided not to read it until we all got together."

"That must have taken a superhuman effort," Miyagi grinned, poking Mitsui. "I would have succumbed to temptation the minute I picked it up.

"Well, I'm not an idiot like you," Mitsui replied bluntly. Rukawa looked at the magazine in Mitsui's hands with interest, looking over the top of Mitsui as he was a seat behind the Miyagi and Mitsui. Sakuragi was sitting in the aisle opposite of Mitsui and leaned over to look. Hiroshi was kneeling in the middle of the aisle, as he had left his seat next to Sakuragi to get a better view of the magazine.

"Rankings first, or divisions?" Mitsui said, excitement tensing his voice a bit. Miyagi thought quickly.

"Divisions."

Mitsui flipped through the pages until he got to the brackets. Suddenly the five starters became deathly silent as they all saw what it said.

"No. Way." Miyagi's breath caught in his throat. "No. Way."

Hiroshi looked grim, and even Rukawa and Sakuragi looked worried. Mitsui simply leaned his head back in his chair, closing his eyes as he tried to pretend what he saw wasn't really there. He opened his eyes and looked down.

Damn. Still there.

"We're playing Sannoh first," Mitsui said, his throat suddenly dry. "I can't believe this." Mitsui turned to look at all his shocked teammates. Some of the other Shohoku team members sitting near the starters were already muttering about the news.

"Sannoh. Un-freakin'-believable."

Ayako walked over. "What's wrong, boys?" As soon as she saw the open page and its contents, she gasped. Anzai stood from his seat.

"Anzai-sensei… what do we do…?" Miyagi said, his eyes wide. Anzai stared straight into Miyagi's eyes and repeated the words he said yesterday.

"Show me that you believe in yourselves."

Anzai slipped out of his seat and headed for the restroom. Sakuragi tried to liven everyone up.

"Come on! With this Tensai, it won't be a problem! We're here to conquer the nationals and the nation!"

"What about the next bracket?" Miyagi muttered, completely dazed. Mitsui looked down.

"We play the winner of the matchup between Daiei High and Katsura High. From there on out, it's all up in the air; it's going to depend on how the other teams do."

"Look at our ranking," Rukawa interjected. Rukawa didn't show any signs of nervousness, but Miyagi could tell by the furrow in his brow that Rukawa was definitely not relaxed about the matchup either. Mitsui flipped the pages back until he got onto the right page.

"What the HELL!"

"No. Way."

"This is every worse than last year…"

"Wow. That's pretty low."

"…"

**Shohoku- D.**

**Incredibly lucky they even made the Inter-Highs. Team is strongly dependant on star second-year Rukawa Kaede. A step down from last year's team. Weak bench, average starting team even with two late additions. Unlikely to pull same miracles as last year. Chances of even making it past first round are slim to none.**

"This is bullshit!" Miyagi cursed, then quickly covered his mouth as he realized Ayako was still there. Ayako, however, didn't seem to mind.

"I can't believe they are ranking us so low… even lower than last year…" Ayako muttered.

Hiroshi and Rukawa sat silently, each lost in their own thoughts. Sakuragi nudged Mitsui.

"Can you look at Sannoh and Ryonan, Micchi?"

Mitsui nodded.

**Sannoh- A.**

**Strong starting team, very deep bench. Potential to attack inside and outside. Excellent coaching and game execution. Managed an amazing record in respective district. Easily a favorite to take the championship this year, despite last year's surprise upset.**

**Ryonan- C.**

**Interesting team. Akira Sendoh is a superb captain with incredible basketball sense. Balanced starting team, but a lacking bench. Capable of periods of explosive, unrelenting offense but has relatively weak defense. Sometimes lacks focus, but Sendoh is able to orchestrate team to victories. First appearance in the Nationals. Projected success, however, is unlikely to be past second round.**

"They don't think much of the Kanagawa representatives, huh?" Miyagi said quietly. The starters grew silent again. Rukawa reached into his bag, pulled out headphones, and leaned back into his seat, listening to music. Hiroshi quietly stood up and sat back into his seat next to Sakuragi, staring out the window. Miyagi, Ayako, and Mitsui continued to read the magazine, and after a moment, Sakuragi leaned over to read it with them.

* * *

"Hey, porcupine head!"

Sakuragi waved at Sendoh and the Ryonan team. All the basketball teams had just left the huge gym that the opening ceremonies were hosted in, and were now headed to their respective hotels to stay. The Shohoku team had just bumped into Ryonan by sheer coincidence.

"Hi!" Sendoh said, bright as ever. Sendoh reached out his hand, and quickly shook with Sakuragi and Miyagi.

"How goes the team? Had a good practice?" Miyagi asked. Sendoh flashed his typical smile.

"We're doing okay, I guess. We were ranked pretty low in this magazine Hikoichi brought in, so I think we have something to prove now."

"Ha! We were just talking about that on the train!" Miyagi said excitedly as he leaped into conversation with Ryonan's captain. Takuma and Hiroshi nodded at each other.

"Hey."

"Yo," Takuma greeted Hiroshi as brusquely as usual.

"Don't get eliminated, all right? I think I need to show you how much better I got since we played in Osaka."

Takuma gave Hiroshi an amused grin. "If it was the same level as when we played you in Kanagawa, don't bother showing up. Do you think you're the only one that got better?"

Sakuragi stared down Fukuda. "Fuku-chan, I'm going to destroy you in our next match."

Fukuda gave Sakuragi a bored look. "You will, huh? I don't think you'll even get to play us again."

"Damn you!" Sakuragi growled. Rukawa kicked Sakuragi from behind.

"Dou ahou. Shut up and let's get on our way."

Miyagi shook hands with Sendoh again. "We'll see you later, Sendoh. Count on it. Good luck, and don't get eliminated."

"Same to you guys," Sendoh smiled. He nodded at Rukawa as soon as henoticed him, and Rukawa nodded back respectfully.

Hikoichi, lost in the back of the team, stuck his hand out of the crowd. "Bye, Shohoku! We'll see you later!"

Sakuragi grinned. "Later, Hikoichi! Porcupine head!"

Sendoh raised his hand, not bothering to look back as the Ryonan team continued to walk off. Miyagi smiled to himself.

_Let's all play well, all right Sendoh? Kanagawa are the underdogs this year, so let's show them what's we're made of. I know that you're thinking the same thoughts as me. Let's show them that even without Kainan, Kanagawa is a strong district that shouldn't be brushed aside so easily._

"Let's go, Ryota!" Ayako called.

"Right!" Miyagi ran to the front of the Shohoku team, even blowing ahead of Anzai as the team headed for the hotel under the setting sun.

* * *

"Here it is."

Doumoto-sensei, head coach of Sannoh,pulled out a tape of Shohoku. The Sannoh team huddled around the television in the hotel room, getting ready to analyze.

"Let's take them apart, bit by bit."

The tape started, and Miyagi was the first on screen.

"Ryota Miyagi. Third year point guard, and captain of the team. Stands at a diminutive 170 cm and a light 60 kg. Up until their Kainan game, averaged 10.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 9.1 assists, and 2.11 steals."

"That's a very high assist count. Amazing, even. He looks very fast, too."

"Right, Keita, he gave Fukatsu problems last year," Doumoto commented.

"But… his offensive range looks rather poor. And of course, there's the size mismatch. I think we mostly just need to pressure him and force him to shoot. Also, we need to keep him from running the open floor and block his vision. The guy seems to have good court awareness," Keita finished. Keita was the new starting point guard for Sannoh, and seemed very knowledgeable in the analysis.

"Yes, that's a good analysis," Doumoto said. "Now…"

"Mitsui Hisashi. A fourth year, but listed as a third year."

The Sannoh team chuckled upon this fact.

"186 cm, 71 kg. Averages 26.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists," Doumoto continued, reading from a stats sheet. "Second highest scorer on Shohoku."

"Hm… that shooting form is so beautiful, yet so deadly…" Keita observed. "Still, we got to keep the ball out of his hands, pressure him, and force him to take the ball inside so Mikio can handle him. We have to take away his jumper, first and foremost, and see how we can go from there. "

Mikio, the huge center of Sannoh nodded. The younger brother of Masahi, he was now the starting center of the Sannoh and was still able to beat around people in the low post with little problem due to his massive size.

The film continued to roll.

"Here's where the team has two new starters, so they only havestats that are based off of the last few games they've played rather than the season."

Hiroshi appeared on the screen, and it showed him guarding Taro from Kainan tightly.

"Hiroshi Kazuo. First year power forward. Stands at 190 cm and is 77 kg. Averaged 9.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.0 blocks, and for his most amazing stats: 5.0 steals in the three games he played."

A little murmur went through the Sannoh team.

"5 steals? Unheard of…"

"Look at that defense… he's shutting the guy down without even looking directly at him…"

"His stamina looks very poor," Keita commented, quieting the team down. "His rebounding and blocking numbers are nothing special for a power forward. In fact, I'd say his rebounds are pathetic. His offensive game doesn't seem to be great and nowhere near the level of that Mitsui Hisashi, and he doesn't seem to get himself involved in Shohoku's offense much. We can't really stop his defense, but we need to really protect the ball from him and just let him get worn out as soon as we can during the game so he can't contribute anything. Also, he's a first year, so we'll just take advantage of his lack of experience."

Doumoto nodded. "Very well said, Keita. And now…"

"Sakuragi Hanamachi. Second year center, who sustained a back injury last year and just returned. 192 cm, 84 kg. In his three games, averaged 10.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 0.6 steals, 3.0 blocks, and 2.3 assists."

"He looks lost when he's on the offense," Keita instantly said. "His rebounding, on the other hand, looks very focused and strong, but I have reason to believe that because Hiroshi and Sakuragi played in only 3 games that their numbers are inflated. Sakuragi does not look very capable at all, and aside from athleticism, he shouldn't be a problem. His movements look too raw, so they show his inexperience."

Doumoto didn't say anything but a nameas the next player appeared.

"Rukawa Kaede."

Another murmur went through the Sannoh team, as many recognized him. Doumoto paused a moment longer before continuing.

"Averaging 33.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists. Second year small forward, 189 cm, 76 kg, All-Japan player."

Keita watched him silently, then gave up. "I don't know. The guy looks amazing from all angles, except for his unwillingness to share the ball. But that doesn't really matter, cause he still gets his team points."

"Wrong. I should be able to handle him without trouble."

Doumoto turned to the new voice, then smiled. "Oh, good to see you. How was the flight from America?"

Eiji Sawakita grinned, standing in the doorway. He looked much more toned than last year, and looked even more self-confident. "Smooth. I can't wait to play with you guys tomorrow, and see just how much that guy has improved. Those two second years gave us trouble last year, but let me make it clear: Shohoku is going down."


	43. Chapter 42

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews: Yoka- Yep, he's back, and as everyone will see in the next few chapters, more dangerous than ever! XD Thanks for the review.

Cal Reflector- Thanks a lot for the review, and you seem very perceptive about the whole thing, which is nice to have in a reviewer. As for how far Shohoku goes this year… we'll just have to see, right? XD

Yun Fei- Wow, thanks for three reviews!

Um, I've said this before, so it won't hurt to say it again: there will definitely, DEFINIETELY not be any yaoi in my story. Sorry to ruin that for most of the yaoi fangirls, but I'm a guy, and writing about guy-on-guy action isn't for me.

Eiji Sawakita was in his second year when he played against Shohoku last year, and I'll elaborate more on his character in upcoming chapters. And yeah, I personally think Haruko is a pretty dense girl at times, but I sort of emphasized it because she's so into her relationship with Rukawa that she won't really notice anything else. Thanks for sticking with the story!

Emberlion- Yay! Nice to see you again!

Yeah, a lot of what I write about has parallelism to the old SD, and I think it's because if I was just given to freedom to write how I want, it might stray a little too far. I definitely will take some creative liberties, but nothing TOO extreme. I want it to have as much of a feel that Inoue would give to the SD as well as my own. Thanks for saying I evolved the characters well, as I really try to work on that. I definitely feel they're becoming easier to write, especially Sakuragi, as the story goes on. And I'll try to add a bit more humor, now that the little relationship drama thing is on hold for a while.

Thanks a lot for the long review. I hope you can come back soon, but only do it when you're ready—wouldn't want to force you into anything. Know that we all miss you, though!

Iron Duke- Yep, I had already starting the previous chapter actually, so it came out sooner. This one took a bit longer cause school got busy.

Dude, I wish you the best of luck at the tournaments and such. Kick some major ass, get into the finals, and show them all what you're made of. Keep us updated on how things go, okay?

Thanks for the review man, and again, good luck.

Laziness Incarnate- Thanks, it's good to hear the pacing is okay. But my eye for detail cannot compete with yours. XD

Thanks for the correction about names, I changed it this chapter. And yeah… I thought someone would say "OMG WTF EIJI!" but no one did. Neh. ;)

Thanks for the review!

Marc- Hi!

Thanks a lot for your compliment. I don't think I'm that great yet, but I'm definitely trying to uphold the SD legacy. Saying I'm doing it how Inoue would have really makes me feel good, even though I'm not quite there yet.

I've e-mailed you the link to the scanlations, and it's always nice to have another reviewer. Thanks a lot.

KobeJordan- Hey, thanks a lot man!

I didn't watch the All-Star games (no cable), but as we all know, East won. It's about time, too, although I liked West and East this year so I didn't care who would win. And I'm really glad to see Grant Hill back; he's sort of overrated in my area, but he's a great guy and a great player.

Mitra1- Haha, classes but no girl sums it up. XD Although I decided to just stop worrying about the whole girl chasing thing for a while and focus on other things like my band, school, stuff like that. And the fic., of course. Right. :)

Yep, reuniting the team is always good. And I just put Hiroshima because I had no idea where else I could host the IH matches other than that place.

I think I might let Minami appear again… MAYBE. Not sure. And thanks for letting me take license in my work. XD

Addicted to SD- Cool, and thanks.

Migo- Did I? I didn't know I wrote it like that. XD

Yeah actually, I looked back and regretted that I made them COMPLETELY underestimate the Shohoku team. My bad. But I'll try and remedy that in the future, and thanks for spotting it. Thanks for the review and compliments too man.

FoodAddict- Thanks a lot, and you're not a bad writer yourself.

Hellsing- Thanks for the review and the comments, I'll try my best!

* * *

**Chapter 42 – Unwelcome Return**

"Argh, I'm so sleepy!" Sakuragi yawned, stretching on his futon. Miyagi, Sakuragi's roommate for the night, was sitting on his futon and trying to keep his mind occupied by reading a book he had brought along.

Sakuragi closed his eyes, but soon opened one eye to gaze at Miyagi. "Ryo-chin, you're not tired?"

Miyagi sighed. "I'm still sort of wound up. Lots of things are going to be happening tomorrow, you know."

Sakuragi closed his eye again. "It won't be a problem. With this Tensai, there's no way to lose."

Miyagi didn't respond as he set his book aside, standing up to shut off the lights in their room.

_Sannoh… this definitely will not be easy…_

Miyagi sat back down on his futon, staring off into the dark._ I have no idea how far everyone has come along. Whatever mystery training the other guys had will be shown tomorrow, I suppose. I don't doubt Mitsui or Rukawa, but Sakuragi and Hiroshi… they're going to be the wild cards._

Miyagi finally laid down on his futon, still deep in thought. _And who knows about Sannoh's roster this year? It must be good to have earned an A rank, but losing that other A… is it because they didn't win the championship last year, or is it because they've really taken a step down?_

Miyagi jerked in surprise as Sakuragi rolled around in his sleep, mumbling about Haruko. Miyagi chuckled, then closed his eyes.

_Sakuragi's right… I should stop worrying about it right now and just deal with it tomorrow._

But despite Miyagi's words, it took him almost an hour to fall asleep.

* * *

Hiroshi stumbled out of his room, groggy from sleeping too much. Mitsui yawned as he walked out along with the rookie, the two roommates looking relatively rested.

"Think the team's up yet?" Mitsui wondered aloud, grabbing his sports duffel bag as he exited. Hiroshi rubbed his face with his hands, trying to revitalize himself.

"Maybe. We're probably going to have to go wake up Rukawa, though. You know how he sleeps."

Mitsui laughed. "That's true."

Surprisingly, Rukawa was already in the lobby, his things packed. Yasuda, his roommate, was also packed, and the two looked fresh.

"Wow, Rukawa awake? Unheard of," Mitsui smiled, walking up to the other two. A few of the other Shohoku members were around, as were Anzai and Ayako.

"A few people haven't woken up yet, so we have to wait," Yasuda said. Rukawa nodded at Hiroshi and Mitsui in greeting, and Hiroshi raised his arm in return.

"Holy crap! Don't leave, don't leave!"

Miyagi burst into the lobby, his Shohoku jacket not even zipped up to hide his jersey as he ran to join the team. Sakuragi sauntered along, a few steps behind the captain as he carried both of their duffel bags.

"Idiot. How could we leave without the captain?" Mitsui said, then looked Miyagi up and down.

"You okay? You look sort of out of it."

"Ugh… didn't sleep too well," Miyagi asserted, swinging his arms out as he tried to get his blood moving. Sakuragi clapped Miyagi on the back as he joined the rest of the gang.

"I told you not to worry Ryo-chin! Shohoku will win without a doubt!"

Rukawa sighed. "Dou ahou. Stop underestimating other teams."

"What, fox? You scared?"

Rukawa gave Sakuragi a cold stare in response. Hiroshi already knew the two were going to be at each others throat's everyday, and had stopped trying to break them up unless it looked serious. Instead, he was off at the vending machines, looking for something to drink.

Kakuta and Kuwata came into the lobby, and Anzai looked at Ayako questioningly. Ayako nodded.

"Sensei, everyone is here."

Anzai motioned for the team to gather together. "It's time to go."

Hiroshi, not finding anything he wanted, quickly caught up with the team as they boarded the small bus waiting for them in front of the hotel. Sakuragi motioned for the rookie to hurry.

"Come on, Hiro! Let's go!"

"Right, right!" Hiroshi was the last one to dash into the bus, slapping hands with Sakuragi as the bus took off without hesitation, not waiting for Hiroshi or Sakuragi to find a seat. Miyagi looked out the window of the bus, sitting next to Rukawa who was already listening to music.

_Everyone seems pretty relaxed… a bit more nervous than last year, but still, I seem like I'm the one most wound up._

As the bus sped along, Sakuragi started goofing off, leaning his head out of the bus windows to greet the other drivers in the early morning. Mitsui panicked and tried to drag him back in, Hiroshi smiled tolerantly as he helped Mitsui, and the rest of the team burst into laughter and began chattering. And soon enough, Miyagi found himself joining them.

* * *

"Excuse me."

Yayoi, the sister reporter of Hikoichi, looked up and was instantly startled. A young man was standing there, and behind him was a massive crowd of assorted people. He spoke in very broken Japanese that took Yayoi a while to understand.

"Uh… which way is the gym to the Sannoh match?"

Yayoi pointed right, and as soon as the person turned away, her curiosity won over. "Um…"

A girl next to the young man kicked him in the shin, then let out a flurry of English. "Dumbass. The lady is calling you."

"Yes?" The young man turned, and Yayoi was now struck by his above-average height.

"Are you a basketball player? Are all these people your fans?"

The young man smiled. "No… just my friends."

Yayoi was now forced to endure a long, long introduction as the young man pointed everyone out, with the majority of his introduction in English:

"The one half-asleep over there is Laziness Incarnate. Great girl and a great writer, although I keep wondering why she falls asleep all the time. Guess she's just lazy—but I really love having her around. The _real_ basketball player is Iron Duke, off to the right. He schools me in basketball for free, and he plays for a college team in the Netherlands. The girl that just kicked me—"

At this, the girl waved towards Yayoi as if nothing had happened, an innocent smile on her face.

"…is Yun Fei. She's really cool, and a wonderful writer and friend. I've known her for a while, I guess. The girl hiding behind her is Emberlion, another outstanding writer and a really nice person. Without those two, I'd probably be just a babbling idiot. Migo is over there, and he's knowledgeable in basketball and fun to be around. The Wobbly Guy next to him is also very learned in basketball, and they're both nice to talk to. Hellsing and Addicted to SD are over near the water fountains, and Cal Reflector is talking with Yoka and FoodAddict over there… and FoodAddict is apparently eating again."

The three waved at Yayoi as soon as they heard the young man introduce them.

"Yeah, they're nice to everyone. Cool to have around. And then there's Mitra1, who is reading a book over there. Smart and willing to help us out, especially when we all met up at the airports. KobeJordan and Marc are over there, but I think they're still out of it because of jetlag. Oh well. Adjustment is already asleep over there, and the other two sleeping on the floor are Nikolah16 and FlipJeudi. I think it's my fault for making them wait so long before my flight came in, so that's my bad.

"Shadowcleaner is studying over there—the poor girl always had lots of studying to do. Actually, most of us do but we couldn't miss this. Linxi, DT, and Nigel are off over there at the vending machines. AutumnChole, Kakashi-fan, Ayce Shade, Whooch, Cutiedallie, Andikjah, LieutenantleMir, Lotus2, Magwise, Scream Out Loud, and Plasmolysed Cell Membrane are grouped over there, reading the bulletin board. LoneHamster, Demi-Devil-Writer, MichaelJordanFan, and Kenjiro Akisama are the ones talking to the passerby's and helping me ask for directions. TensaiAJ, Fiery Frost, Mayuki, XiaoJ, Jade, Dana, BananaPeel, Roselle, and XoniNewcomer are reading the map and finding out how to get to the hotel later. And that's it… although Laziness Incarnate, Yun Fei, and Emberlion told me there might be more people later. I'd be so lost without those girls," he finished, smiling awkwardly.

Yayoi looked at the young man in amazement. "How did you…"

"Get that many people?" The young man switched back to his poor Japanese, not realizing that he had accidentally spoken in mostly English a few moments ago. "I'm not so sure myself. It was pretty hard for all of us to meet up, but I'm glad that we did. Thank you for directions, we're going now."

The young man nudged Laziness Incarnate awake, and the group began to walk off, leaving a bewildered Yayoi behind.

* * *

"Whoa!"

The crowd gasped in unison as Sendoh spun into the lane, dodging his defender as he dunked the ball on the opposing team's forward. Takuma slapped hands with Sendoh as they ran back on defense, the score at 75-68, Ryonan's lead.

Maki, Fujima, Kiyota, Jin, and Takeshi were sitting quietly in the stands, watching the teams duke it out and waiting for the second match.

"Shohoku gets Sannoh again? What shitty luck!" Kiyota laughed. "That stupid monkey is going to get clobbered."

Maki smiled. "Oh? Weren't you cheering for them at the end last year?"

Fujima shifted awkwardly, feeling a bit out of place considering Kainan stars surrounded him. Jin noticed his discomfort.

"Senpai, you okay?"

Fujima gave Jin a surprised look, then smiled. "Oh… I'm fine. Besides, Hanagata said he would show up later…"

"Hanagata?" Maki repeated, and Fujima nodded.

"I haven't really kept in contact with him… but, well, I decided to call him up and he said he would try and make it today. I'm sure it will be nice to see him again," Fujima turned his attention back to the game. "It's been quite some time…"

Fukuda leaped into the air, pressuring the opposing team's shot. The ball rimmed out and Koshino caught the rebound.

"Okay guys! Go!" Koshino yelled, throwing the ball downcourt to Uekusa. The opposing team couldn't set up their transition defense in time as Uekusa blazed downcourt, faking a pass to Sendoh before taking the ball in himself and scoring the layup.

"Umamiya is going for a first round exit again…" Yayoi commented, now sitting at the reporter's table. "How ironic that it's a team from the Kanagawa district to beat them, once again…"

Jin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You know, it's really weird…"

Kiyota, Takeshi, and Fujima looked at Jin oddly. "What's weird?" Takeshi asked.

"Neither team came out for warm-ups during the halftime break," Maki finished for Jin. "Sannoh and Shohoku didn't go out for warm-ups like last year."

"Hm… now that you mention it…" Fujima looked around. "Maybe that's why there was that buzz during halftime. The Sannoh supporters in the crowd were wondering what happened to their favorite team."

"I'm certainly curious as to where the Shohoku guys are," Takeshi said. "I've never seen Sannoh. Are they really that good?"

Maki looked at the younger point guard. "Takeshi, you have no idea. The new Sannoh point guard might put on a show… I heard he's amazing."

Kiyota leaned back in his chair. "Whatever. I'll take them all down next year, and Kainan will be at the top once again."

At the opposite side of the gym sat Nori, along with a few of his fellow gangsters and the Rukawa Brigade. Nori looked around nervously.

"Where are the other regulars?" Nori wondered, and as if on cue, the Sakuragi Army sauntered in. Nori noticed them and waved his Mitsui flag at them.

Youhei took one look at the seats and his face instantly changed color. He motioned for Nori to walk over to where he was, and as soon as Nori was within grabbing distance, Youhei did the obvious—grabbed him.

"You idiot," Youhei hissed. "Sitting next to the Rukawa Brigade guarantees us no peace and quiet. At least move an aisle across."

"Okay, okay…" Nori said, motioning for his gangster friends to try and exchange spots with people. Nori looked at the Sakuragi Army in confusion. "Where are Haruko and the other girls?"

Youhei shrugged. "We met at Shohoku's gym this morning, but Haruko, Matsui, and Fujii said they would come a bit later. Something about going to the trains to pick up someone…" Youhei trailed off, noticing that the seats were free. Takamiya quickly took one, and the rest of the Sakuragi Army followed suit. Nori didn't think much of Youhei's comment and went to get his flag.

"How's it looked so far?" Ookusu asked as soon as Nori came back, settling into his chair.

"Sendoh didn't do much during the first half but set up teammates, but apparently it wasn't enough and he went wild after halftime. I don't even know how many points he made, but Ryonan managed to pull away."

Noma nodded. "Sounds like Sendoh, all right. He's definitely making it look easy."

Sendoh stared down his opponent on the court, his demeanor dead serious. Sendoh faked left, then jumped into the air and shot a three-pointer that swished through the net cleanly. 84-72 now, with only seconds remaining.

Maki smiled to himself. _You definitely look like you're out to prove something, Sendoh… you're taking these matches much more seriously than when I played you…_

"Go guys! Defend!" Taoka-sensei barked from the sidelines, continuing to order the team even though victory was guaranteed. Hikoichi grinned happily, and Yayoi smiled from her seat.

_I'm so happy for my brother …_ Yayoi thought, managing some normal thought despite swooning over Sendoh ever since she came in.

_Sendoh has definitely completely changed… he's far, far better than before…_ Yayoi thought as the game finally ended, Umamiya not even getting a chance to shoot up one final shot. Sendoh and the other Ryonan starters were slapping hands in joy, tasting their first victory in the Inter-High matches.

"That kid's amazing!" the crowd murmured, talking about Sendoh. Sendoh's serious demeanor dissolved as he smiled casually, wiping his face with a towel as the Ryonan team got ready to go back to the lockers. Sendoh didn't even realize he had recorded a triple-double at his first Inter-High match, tallying 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.

As the Ryonan team began filing out, a series of shadows appeared in the tunnel. Sendoh squinted, and then realized he knew exactly who they were. The two groups quickly passed each other, the looks on their faces intense. Sendoh smiled to all of them, slapping hands with the starters of the team as they passed each other.

Sendoh saw Rukawa last.

"Good luck out there," Sendoh encouraged as he passed Rukawa. Rukawa nodded as he went past him in a breeze. Sendoh chuckled to himself as he continued down the tunnel.

_Their match should definitely be interesting… I heard all about it from Uozumi last year…_ Sendoh thought as he went into the lockers. _Shohoku, let's see if you can stay in the race for the championships!_

* * *

"Looks like Sendoh won," Miyagi commented as soon as the Shohoku team came out of the dark tunnel and into the bright lights of the stadium. Miyagi looked up at the scoreboards and his suspicions turned out to be true. A few cheers went around the crowd, and the Shohoku team looked around in surprise.

"Go Shohoku!" "Great game last year!"

Mitsui grinned. "Guess we still have some leftover fans. Not enough to challenge the Sannoh fan base, but at least some still remember us…"

"Redhead!"

Sakuragi pumped his fist in the air, drawing laughter from some members of the crowd. "Thank you, everyone! Shohoku will give you guys a game you won't soon forget!"

Rukawa sighed. "Dou ahou. Don't think this will be easy."

Sakuragi gave Rukawa a look. "Don't worry! We beat that Sannoh team last year! Plus, that number two guy in Japan isn't around anymore!"

Miyagi looked at Sakuragi curiously. "Number two? Don't you mean…"

Sakuragi grinned. "Didn't you forget? I'm the number one player in Japan!" Sakuragi made a flippant gesture as he waved his hands down near his knees. "That fox Rukawa is somewhere down near the bottom…"

Rukawa and Sakuragi instantly broke into a scuffle that Hiroshi calmly separated.

"Remember, stay calm," Ayako said, tightening her cap. Miyagi took a deep breath, his earring glinting under the gym lights. Anzai went to take a seat at the bleachers, and the Shohoku team took the floor and quickly began warming up.

"Sannoh!"

A few seconds into the warmup, the crowd really erupted this time as the Sannoh team jogged out onto the floor.

"I guess the Sannoh team missed the halftime warm-up cause they were late too?" Miyagi shrugged, dashing in for a layup. Mitsui shook his head.

"I don't know… but even if they hadn't, such a response is to be expected from the crowd…"

Sakuragi looked over at Rukawa, noticing that he had stopped shooting. "Hey fox, stop looking at the loser team and let's start warming up! Although we don't need you on the team that much anyway…" Sakuragi said cheerfully.

Rukawa was dead silent, and Sakuragi noticed that Rukawa was definitely not himself. Sakuragi walked over to his rival.

"Hey, fox, what's wrong?" Sakuragi suddenly, with a chill, noticed how quiet the gym had become, and how shooting on the Shohoku side of the gym had stopped. Rukawa had turned even paler… which Sakuragi never would have thought possible.

Sakuragi very slowly turned his head towards the Sannoh's side, feeling dread creep upon him. _No…_

There, at center court, stood Sawakita Eiji.

Eiji smiled at the two sophomores. "Nice to see you guys again. Miss me?"


	44. Chapter 43

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Chapter 43 – Movement**

"We're dead."

Miyagi looked absolutely petrified at the team huddle as the teams checked with their coach one last time before the match. But he wasn't the only one to be showing shock at the unexpected return of Sannoh's former ace: all of the Shohoku members looked distracted.

Upon hearing his pessimism, without hesitation Ayako smacked Miyagi with her fan. "Stop it! You're the captain, so show some spirit!"

Miyagi tried to backtrack on his words. "Right, I mean, we're _not_ dead. We'll do fine."

Mitsui gave Miyagi a skeptical look. "Do you seriously think we'll believe that after what you just said?"

"Wait a second!" Sakuragi burst into a bout of abrupt anger, interjecting into the conversation. "How can that guy come back? He went to America!"

Hiroshi, who was versed enough to know about the Sannoh ace, also nodded in agreement with the question.

Ayako sighed, giving Anzai a glance from the corner of her eye. "Anzai-sensei told me that although Sawakita went to America, he still has some sort of enrollment loophole so that he is still able to associate with Sannoh. Kind of like a 'training-abroad' program. So he's still allowed a spot on their roster even though he went to America to study and play basketball."

With the culprit now identified, the Shohoku players very slowly turned their heads to face their coach.

If Anzai was nervous about being singled out, he didn't show it. "I didn't want to bring down morale."

"But you knew about this," Miyagi accused quietly. "You knew Sawakita would be back to play for the Nationals. Why didn't you tell us?"

Anzai looked steadily at Miyagi. "I did not find out until a few days ago."

"But still—"

"Shut up, Ryo-chin!"

A still-furious Sakuragi stepped forward, catching everyone's attention.

"It doesn't matter who they have! That guy is back and we have to deal with him. This Tensai will stop him!"

In spite of Sakuragi again assigning himself as savior of the team, Mitsui nodded in agreement with most of what the redhead had said. "I know how good Sawakita was last year, but take into account that him going back into the lineup will mess with their chemistry. We should try not to focus so much on the fact that he's back, but rather how to attack the team. A single person can't win it all for them."

Miyagi sighed, still disbelieving. "It's never just one talented person. The whole damn team is talented, from starters to bench players."

Hiroshi shook his head, siding with Mitsui and Sakuragi. "Sakuragi-senpai is right. We can't do anything about it. We can only go in there and just—"

"Stop it, all of you!" Ayako smacked all the Shohoku starters in quick succession. "Arguing with each other isn't going to help! You guys aren't looking like a team at all!"

Before things could get anymore out of hand, a referee passed by the bench and motioned for the Shohoku players to go onto the floor.

"Right. We'll just deal with it when we go up there," Miyagi said, some bitterness leaking into his tone. Regardless, the starters gathered together and began walking over to center court, leaving a pensive Anzai and a worried Ayako behind. The Shohoku bench players were already talking amongst themselves about what was to happen in the game.

Mitsui caught up to Miyagi in the front of the pack and leaned down imperceptibly to talk to the shorter point guard. "You idiot. What the hell is wrong with you? Back me up when I stick my neck out like that. You're not making the team feel comfortable."

Miyagi placed his hands on his head, expression anxious. "I don't know, okay Mitsui? As soon as I saw that guy, I just…"

"You're supposed to be captain. At least pretend to not be worried. Do you have any idea how Rukawa feels?"

Miyagi shot a glance behind Mitsui. Rukawa looked determined and his eyes were staring straight ahead, emotionless; he didn't appear any different than he normally would facing any other opponent.

"He looks pretty damn confident to me."

"Look at his hands, idiot."

Heeding Mitsui's suggestion, Miyagi studied Rukawa a bit closer and finally saw that the ace's hands were clenched so tightly that the knuckles on his hands strained against his skin.

"…I see," Miyagi managed quietly.

Mitsui nodded, his point having been made. "So stop your whining. An unstable captain only shows how unstable the team is."

Miyagi took a deep breath before letting a shaky chuckle escape his lips. "You've been waiting to say that one, haven't you?"

"No. It's common sense. And…"

The teams finally reached center court. Sawakita had the barest hint of a smirk on his face as he tucked his uniform in, the rest of the Sannoh team gathered around him. Mitsui met the opposition's glare, his own eyes never wavering.

"…Akagi told me that during our first year."

Miyagi looked up with interest, hoping for Mitsui to elaborate further before referee blew his whistle.

"White team, Akita's Sannoh Tech.! Red team, Kanagawa's Shohoku High!"

Ayako looked at her roster, comparing matchups:

**Point Guard **

#4 Miyagi Ryota (3rd year)- 170 cm, 60 kg

#9 Takasuka Keita (2nd year)- 181 cm, 70 kg

**Shooting Guard: **

#5 Mitsui Hisashi (3rd year)- 186 cm, 71 kg

#4 Nakamura Yoshito (3rd year)- 188 cm, 74 kg

**Small Forward: **

#11 Rukawa Kaede (2nd year)- 189 cm, 76 kg

#15 Sawakita Eiji (3rd year)- 189 cm, 80 kg

**Power Forward:**

#13 Kazuo Hiroshi (1st year)- 190 cm, 77 kg

#5 Yamaguchi Sato (3rd year)- 191 cm, 85 kg

**Center:**

#10 Sakuragi Hanamichi (2nd year)- 192 cm, 84 kg

#11 Kawata Mikio (2nd year)- 210 cm, 130 kg

_Goodness…_ Ayako breathed in. _We're outmatched almost everywhere… _

"Holy crap, Hanamichi looks like a freakin' midget again…" Noma said in astonishment as Sakuragi stepped up for the opening tip against Mikio. Mikio, brother of the star center Kawata Masashi and one of Sakuragi's opponents last year, still towered over Sakuragi not just in height, but also in girth; he had not lost any weight during the past year. Likewise, Miyagi looked woefully short standing next to Keita as they got ready to steal the opening tip.

"Let's hope that fat guy didn't get better this year, right?" Takamiya whispered. Youhei nodded silently.

"I'm more worried about that Sawakita…" Ookusu muttered, scratching his mane of blonde hair. "That guy…"

The Sakuragi Army fell silent along with the rest of the crowd as the referee calmly threw the ball into the air, signaling the start of the match.

"Mine!" Sakuragi sprang into the air like a pogo stick, smacking the ball over to Miyagi before anyone could react.

"All right!" Sakuragi landed and began dashing towards Shohoku's basket. "Let's—"

The whistle instantly shrieked, putting a stop to play. "Jump ball violation, red #10!"

"What the hell?!" Sakuragi whirled around with a growl. Mitsui gave Sakuragi a discreet shove on the shoulder.

"You jumped too fast," Mitsui stated in an angry whisper as the referee took the ball away.

_Dr T.: During any sort of jump ball, including the starting tip-offs, the ball must reach the peak of its ascent before players can jump or it's a violation. When there's a jump ball violation, the opposing team gains possession of the ball._

"Damn…" Sakuragi looked at Mitsui unhappily. Mitsui heaved a sigh.

"Just remember that for next time."

Hiroshi, on the other hand, was more in awe than upset. _Sakuragi moved so fast that I don't think anyone on the court was ready…_

"First possession belongs to us, right?" Sawakita purposefully gave Rukawa a look. "Looks like you won't have time to surprise us like last year."

Rukawa didn't answer as Keita went to secure the change of possession, the referee having brought the ball to Sannoh's side of the court. Miyagi tried to guard the inbounds as best he could, but Keita was simply too tall and threw the ball over to Nakamura, their captain. Mitsui studied Nakamura carefully, ready to defend any potential shot.

"Mitsui Hisashi."

Mitsui looked up, realizing that Nakamura had spoken to him. "What?"

"I saw your shooting on tape yesterday. It wasn't bad form. But…"

Nakamura jumped into the air, catching Mitsui off guard at the abrupt nature of the shot. The ball snapped through the net off the mid-range jumper and Sannoh immediately took the lead, 2-0.

"…I think mine is better," Nakamura sneered as he backtracked onto defense.

Mitsui's eyes darkened in annoyance as he raced alongside his opponent. "We'll have to see about that, won't we?"

Hiroshi took the ball out of bounds and quickly passed back in to Miyagi. Miyagi went through some plays in his head as he dribbled downcourt, rejecting all of them as he struggled to decide what Shohoku should open with for their first offensive position.

_Shit… we didn't talk with Anzai enough on what we were supposed to focus on against Sannoh!_

"Ryo-chin!"

Miyagi was pleasantly surprised to see Sakuragi motioning for the ball in the post, amazingly having established decent position against the much bigger Mikio.

_He usually doesn't hang out there unless he's waiting for the rebounds… is that what he learned from Mitsui while we were gone?_

Miyagi was about to pass to Sakuragi before Keita instantly blocked his vision, the Sannoh point guard having appeared seemingly from nowhere. Miyagi's eyes widened as he quickly tried to turn the bullet pass into a bounce pass, but Keita was able to deflect it with his active hands. Miyagi turned and reached back down for the ball, fumbling it as he sensed Keita closing in.

_What the hell? Where did he come from?_ Miyagi thought, momentarily panicked. The ball was poked free again before Miyagi could gather himself, and in the next instant Keita got the step on Miyagi and was after the loose ball. Keita was about to reach down to complete the steal when a figure blurred past him.

_Who would...?_ Keita looked up just in time to see the lean form of Hiroshi hitting the deck, sacrificing his body to ensure that he reached the loose ball first. Hiroshi fumbled with the ball and moved to a sitting position, frantically looking to get rid of it before another player could trap him.

"Hiroshi!"

Hiroshi heaved an overhead pass towards Mitsui, the source of the voice. Once the ball was secured by his vice-captain, Hiroshi picked himself off the floor to rejoin the offense, wincing.

"Thanks man," Miyagi breathed when Hiroshi brushed past him. Hiroshi didn't answer as he abruptly realized that Yamaguchi Sato, the new power forward of Sannoh, hadn't bothered to pick him up on defense. Without hesitation Hiroshi cut into the middle of the lane, completely open. Mitsui instantly saw this and shot a bounce-pass towards his teammate. Hiroshi caught the pass and glided in for a layup, the scores quickly changing to 2-2.

"Hiro!" Sakuragi grinned in congratulations, slapping hands with the power forward as Shohoku ran back down the court to set up on defense.

Keita studied Hiroshi carefully while Nakamura took the ball out. _Crisp movements and an ability to read the defense. We can't slack on him at all, it seems.  
_

"Focus, Miyagi!" Mitsui slapped Miyagi from behind, upset at the near-turnover a few seconds ago. "You almost let that other point guard get the better of you!"

"Shut up! I know!" Miyagi fumed, shooting Keita a wary glance in the meantime. _This guy guards differently than Fukatsu… he's far more agile!_

With the Sannoh offense at the ready, Keita made the pass to Sawakita, who was being guarded tightly by Rukawa.

"I learned a lot in America," Sawakita continued his ongoing conversation, trying to get into Rukawa's head. "The players there were amazing. I used to think that there might still be a challenge in Japan, but after playing in America, I realized something."

Sawakita looked over the top of Rukawa's shoulder and Rukawa involuntarily tensed, anticipating a pass.

In an instant, Sawakita was gone.

_What?!_ Rukawa's eyes widened in shock as he quickly turned, realizing he had fallen for the fake. Sawakita was already blazing for the basket, the other Shohoku players unable to react. Even Sakuragi was unable to do anything to help as Mikio utilized his huge body to hold the redhead back. Sawakita leaped into the air, capping off the score with a fierce one-handed slam.

"Hey! How'd you get faked out like that, Rukawa?!" Kiyota shouted from the stands, aghast as the surrounding crowd erupted into cheers. Maki could only shake his head.

_That movement. That reaction. It's clear... Sawakita will not find a true opponent in Japanese high school basketball anymore._

Sawakita slowly let go of the rim, seeming to relish having gotten the first strike on his rival as he dropped back to the floor. He gave Rukawa a look, full of confidence.

"You won't be able to survive against players of my caliber anymore."

Much to Sawakita's delight, he managed to catch Rukawa's momentarily stunned expression before Shohoku's ace recovered his composure, donning his emotionless mask again.

"Just try me."

"Sure," Sawakita smiled, accepting the challenge as he followed Rukawa down the court. "We'll see."

There was an undercurrent of nervousness with the Shohoku team after seeing their ace defeated. Miyagi handled the ball upcourt, deep in thought as Shohoku prepared to counterattack.

_That Nakamura guy… he's the captain of the team this year and looks like he has a decent jumper. We'll have to keep an eye on him…_ Miyagi chanced a glance over at Mitsui, who was being guarded too tightly by Nakamura for Miyagi to attempt the pass. Instead Miyagi opted to pass over to Hiroshi—and again, Keita, reacting at just the right moment, surged forward and deflected the ball.

"Shit!" Miyagi cursed, ready for the attempted steal this time. He instantly bent over and scooped up the ball before speeding past Keita with a hard dribble forward, completely catching Keita off-guard with his raw speed.

And for that brief moment Miyagi was free from Keita's defense, he instantly knew what to do.

"Hanamichi!" Miyagi shouted, his reflexes taking over as he lobbed the ball straight into the air. Sakuragi leaned against Mikio's huge body, cushioning himself against the globs of doughy flesh before spinning around the much slower defender. Before Sannoh's defense could react, Sakuragi was already jumping into the air and catching the alley-oop pass. Sakuragi slammed the ball in with both hands, returning Sawakita's dunk with equal ferocity.

"Don't try to stop this Tensai!" Sakuragi roared as released himself from the shaking rim. Miyagi backpedaled onto defense, pointing at Sakuragi in acknowledgment.

_I can still set up my teammates,_ Miyagi reminded himself. _That Keita has really quick hands, so I have to be on my guard.  
_

"At least Shohoku is staying close," Fujima muttered from the stands, the scores clicking to 4-4. Jin shook his head, disagreeing.

"I don't think it will last long…" Jin said quietly. "Shohoku is playing too disorganized and frantic. Not like the Shohoku that beat us."

Back coutside, Keita was just shooting a pass to Nakamura, who launched the ball down low to Yamaguchi in the post. Hiroshi readied himself, unsure of what to expect.

Yamaguchi made a quick pump fake that was convincing enough that Hiroshi almost fell for it. But by the time Yamaguchi put the ball on the floor and tried to move closer to the basket, Hiroshi had already recovered and was able to follow, his hands up as he tried to block off Yamaguchi's vision.

_He's faster than he appears,_ Hiroshi thought, noticing that he was utilizing all of his own speed to just keep up. Yamaguchi stopped in place and Hiroshi was less than a half step behind, surging forward and placing himself right back between Yamaguchi and the basket. Yamaguchi, realizing there was no chance at an easy shot, shoveled the ball to Mikio, who was bodying up against Sakuragi.

Sakuragi was barely holding the blubbery player back.

"Damn meatball, did you gain weight?" Sakuragi grunted, lowering his center of gravity as much as he could.

Mikio didn't reply as he kept trying to force himself closer, utilizing his large rear to push the redhead away. Just before Mikio could have an easy shot, Hiroshi rotated over to provide help defense. Mikio had enough awareness to notice Hiroshi and threw the ball back out to Keita outside the three-point line. The Sannoh point guard instantly lifted into his shot, his shot unobstructed due to Miyagi's far shorter stature.

The ball bounced off the inner part of the rim and right back out. Sakuragi immediately boxed out Mikio.

"Meatball, you won't steal any rebounds from me!" Sakuragi shouted.

However it was not Mikio, but rather Yamaguchi, who had been left open by Hiroshi, that came shooting in. Yamaguchi grabbed the offensive rebound and though Hiroshi realized his mistake, it was too late—Yamaguchi simply laid the ball back up and in. 6-4, with 19:12 remaining.

Keita nodded towards Yamaguchi, high-fiving the other player as they moved back onto defense. Meanwhile, Hiroshi could only grit his teeth, upset with himself for making the mistake.

Mitsui, also recognizing the mistake, hit Hiroshi gently on the shoulder with the back of his hand as they raced downcourt. "Don't underestimate anyone on Sannoh. Box out and keep to the fundamentals."

"My bad," Hiroshi agreed in apology. In the next moment, a red blur shot right past the two as Miyagi sped past everyone, trying to catch the Sannoh defense off guard.

"Rukawa!" Miyagi barked, throwing a bullet pass straight to the ace.

As soon as Rukawa touched the ball, the atmosphere of the gym changed; everyone leaned forward in his or her seats with expectation for the matchup.

"Sawakita and Rukawa in an isolation play," Doumoto mumbled from the sidelines, pleased with the scenario. "Do you really think you can challenge Sawakita anymore? It's a much different story than last year."

Rukawa narrowed his eyes at Sawakita, the Shohoku ace rising to the challenge. Sawakita likewise felt the intensity emanating from his opponent and made a swipe at the ball, trying to disrupt his focus. Rukawa pulled his arm back and made two lightning-quick fakes with his arms, then one with his feet by jabbing it forward to test if Sawakita would give any ground.

Sawakita didn't.

Rukawa pump-faked again then dribbled a step to his right. Sawakita was able to keep up but in the very next instant Rukawa rose into the air, shooting a quick jump shot before Sawakita could actively defend him. The shot bounced off the corner of the rim and though Sakuragi tried to get the rebound, Mikio's mammoth body completely blocked the redhead out and he was unable to secure it.

_Shit… that fat guy knows how to use his body more this year…_ Mitsui thought as he went back onto defense, Sannoh again having possession now. _He's holding Sakuragi back and because he's so wide, Sakuragi can't maneuver for the rebounds as easily…_

"Damn meatball!" Sakuragi yelled as soon as Mikio and him were on the other side of the court, the redhead profoundly angered. Mikio scratched his head embarrassingly, not looking anywhere near as fired up as his Sannoh comrades were.

"My brother started calling me that after last year's game…" Mikio said sheepishly, as if Sakuragi cared.

"Shut up!" Sakuragi replied, still in a rage. Before anything more could be said, Mikio again back into Sakuragi and silenced the redhead as he was drowned in a wall of a flesh.

_I must hold him back!_ Sakuragi thought, bending his knees and pushing back against Mikio as mucha s possible. _If he gets too close to the basket, they'll get a score easily!  
_

Keita, who had been preparing to hand the ball off to Mikio, was met with a surprise of his own when Miyagi began to shadow the Sannoh point guard, seemingly unconcerned with the size mismatch. But that didn't stop Keita at all, as the point guard instead made a lightning-quick crossover and shot past Miyagi, surprising the shorter player with his deft ball-handling skill. Keita raced in towards the basket and before the defense could collapse on him, threw a no-look pass over to Yamaguchi. Yamamguchi had enough of an angle to shoot a precise pass to Mikio, who at that moment had succeeded in getting close enough to the basket that no one would be able to prevent him from scoring. Mikio awkwardly laid the ball into the basket and the scores clicked to 8-4.

Sakuragi was left behind in a sop of sweat, having given it his all just to try and keep Mikio out.

"Crap! That guy is just way too big!" Sakuragi complained aloud.

Miyagi discreetly gave Sakuragi a look of sympathy. _Next to Rukawa, Sakuragi probably has the toughest defensive assignment..._

"Okay! We can't let the scores get too far away!" Miyagi shouted aloud after the inbounds, dribbling the ball and keeping a careful eye on Keita. However, because Keita's defense was far too intense, Miyagi had to give up the ball sooner than he would have liked as he threw it over to Mitsui.

Mitsui was standing outside the three-point line when he turned to face Nakamura. "You got anything else to say to me?"

Nakamura smiled in return. "Go ahead. Try and shoot."

Mitsui's eyes narrowed at the rim, considering his options. Mitsui knew it was too late to shoot a three-pointer now that Nakamura was aware of his intentions. Instead Mitsui chose to drive the ball in, something Yoshito wasn't quite expecting as Mitsui managed to get by him without much struggle. Mitsui, now momentarily free at the free-throw line, jumped into the air and shot the ball with his silky touch. The ball twirled through the air, looking as if it was a sure swish, but the ball just rimmed out and Yamaguchi took the rebound away.

"1-0," Nakamura stated, cocky. "Still my lead."

Mitsui shrugged, unbothered. "We'll see how long you can keep it."

Yamaguchi threw the ball downcourt to Keita, but the Sannoh fast break wasn't fast enough as Miyagi and Rukawa were already back on defense. Keita slowed down, letting Sannoh's offense set up.

_Good decision-making…_ Miyagi noted as he caught his breath. _Must have come from playing with Fukatsu in practice everyday…_

Keita instantly went on the attack as soon as Sannoh's offense set up, dashing in towards the basket. Miyagi managed to follow, matching his speed with Keita's. Keita didn't stop running and instead threw a cross-court pass to Sawakita. Miyagi suddenly realized that Keita had separated Miyagi far enough from the others that he wouldn't be able to help Rukawa to double-team.

_They have faith in the one-on-one,_ Miyagi thought as he watched Sawakita bring the ball low to attack-position. Rukawa was on the alert this time, watching Sawakita's movement closely. Sawakita didn't try any fakes this time, instead launching forward with an explosion of speed that dwarfed even Rukawa's athleticism. Sawakita kept it simple and pulled to a stop for a pull-up jumper that swished through the bottom of the net. 10-4.

"That it?" Sawakita taunted as he backpedaled on defense.

Rukawa's expression grew slightly irritated.

"It's just starting," Rukawa said quietly in reply, chasing after Sawakita. Within seconds Miyagi crossed the half-court line and passed over to Rukawa, reading the ace's intentions.

"Beating you is a given," Rukawa stated, mirroring Sawakita's previous play as he brought the ball into attack-position.

"You still haven't shown me you can," Sawakita said matter-of-factly. Rukawa ignored the words and drove in, trying to both copy Sawakita and catch him off guard. However, Sawakita poked the ball free just as Rukawa began his move. Before anyone else could recover, Sawakita chased the ball down and began running for Sannoh's basket. He was already too far ahead for anyone to catch up by that point and so after a glance over his shoulder to make sure there was no other defenders, Sawakita threw down a flashy windmill dunk that made the gym erupt into cheers once again.

Sawakita gave Rukawa a staredown from across the court as the scores clicked to 12-4.

_He really is stronger than last year,_ Rukawa thought as Miyagi ran to the other side of the court to get the ball.

Miyagi briefly considered calling a timeout upon getting the ball from the referee, but realized doing so would do nothing more than panic the team more.

_We have to slow Sannoh's momentum, but we can't look vulnerable doing it…_

But when Miyagi had advanced the ball back onto offense, the Shohoku captain still had no clear idea what sort of play would achieve that goal.

"Ryo-chin! Here!"

Sakuragi was again calling for the ball. Miyagi knew Keita heard Sakuragi as well and grimaced, knowing that he couldn't deliver a straightforward pass to the redhead any longer. Instead Miyagi tried to drive the ball in against Keita, then after faking a pass towards Sakuragi, threw an overhead pass over to Mitsui. Mitsui calmly shot a bounce-pass to Sakuragi, picking up on Miyagi's intentions precisely.

Sakuragi, now with the ball in his hands, pressed against Mikio. He still remembered how slow the opposing center was.

"Meatball, I'm about to remind you why I'm the Tensai of Kanagawa!"

Sakuragi abruptly used the drop step, spinning around his opponent. The Kanagawa players in the stands and the Shohoku players at the bench watched in awe as Sakuragi zipped past his defender, and moving too fast for the Sannoh defense to stop him, stopped under the basket and made the shot. 12-6.

"What? Hanamichi pulled it off!" Takamiya exclaimed from the stands. The rest of the Sakuragi Army cheered in celebration, some of the other Shohoku supporters likewise joining in from around the gym.

_Hanamichi… who knew you would get better so fast?_ Youhei thought, a smile on his face. _Last year's Sakuragi and the Sakuragi now are like different players on the court!_

"Guess you really taught him some old man moves," Miyagi observed dryly, giving Mitsui a verbal jab despite himself. Mitsui gave Miyagi a discreet elbow to the ribs as the two moved back onto defense along with their teammates.

Sakuragi grinned in delight as they waited for Sannoh's next attack, clearly pleased with himself.

"Don't act like you guys won," Sakuragi shouted towards the advancing Sannoh players. "You have a long way to go before taking us down!"


	45. Chapter 44

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews:

...-slowly covers face in embarrassment-

Sorry guys. School decided to beat the hell out of me, and I didn't have any time to do anything I wanted to. Here's to hoping I can get back into the flow of things.

FoodAddict- Good to see you're liking the story. I play basketball as a hobby, but not much else. I watch a lot of basketball though.

And you're a team manager? Cool! What kind of stuff do you do?

Yoka- Yeah, Miyagi is having to pick up the reins of being leader as he goes along, because unlike Akagi or Mitsui, he's had no experience with being a leader (or as far as we know from Slam Dunk). That's why I try to make things a little harder on him as he has to experience the pressure of the Inter-Highs from a much different perspective than simply playing like he did last year.

Thanks a lot for reviewing!

Yun Fei- Yep, Sakuragi and Rukawa's relationship is a delicate thing that I think needs to be worked out. And I agree; I hope that the two can work things out for the better. Anzai was right in saying that all the games basically comes down to how those two play or grow during the matches. Thank you for reviewing!

Migo- Hey, what do you think of the NBA Playoffs lately? Pretty cool, huh? Miami is looking pretty freakin' amazing, as Dwayne Wade is seriously taking names and beating everyone down. And Kings and Sixers both lost, but I guess I was sort of expecting it in the back of my mind.

Thanks for reviewing man. And as to whether Shohoku will even get the chance to play Aiwa or other teams is yet to be seen, as you said.

Iron Duke- Yeah, nice observations there. And that sucks about losing the finals man; number two is great and all, but we all know you're a beast at basketball so I was hoping you guys would take it all. Glad you guys placed though, and I hope you guys can win it next year or whenever the next tournament is. Thanks for sticking with the story.

Addicted to SD- Hope you did okay on your finals. Yeah, I'm really happy that so many people have reviewed my story before, it's an honor. Thanks to all of you for continuing to read and support the story.

Adjustment- I've been busy lately, so I couldn't update as much as I planned. Thanks for reviewing, though.

Nigel- Dude, kick some butt! It's awesome to hear you play basketball too. Own your opponents, we'll be cheering for ya! Thanks for reviewing too.

Hellsing- Yeah, Sannoh are a bunch of cocky guys with the exception of a couple. However, they can back up their words, and that's what is going to give Shohoku the most trouble. Nice of you to observe that. Thanks for reviewing, I appreciate it!

Emberlion- Hi there! And don't thank me for the reviewer thing, it was something that I felt was necessary and had been planning for a while.

You're going to have to fight over Sendoh with lots of people, so yeah. Good luck with that. XD

Sakuragi is much more relaxed than last year, but I think it's because he's just self-confident with the training he got from Mitsui. And yes, Miyagi is getting panicky, and he's going to have to learn like Akagi how to handle the pieces in Shohoku and make them all work together.

I agree that there's tons of names to go around; it's much easier if this had been drawn out like Inoue. How I wish he'd make my story into manga form! Oh well, we'll have to wait for his own brilliant mind to decide when to write that sequel to Slam Dunk. I'm happy to hear that I'm not making everything too confusing, I'll try to watch it in the future chapters.

Haha, good to see you like Mikio. He was always the nice, humble guy on Sannoh, and yeah, I can see why people think he's cool. As for Rukawa, he does have a lot to learn during the Inter-Highs, and I hope to let him learn that he still has a long way to go before he can become that number one player he's always hoping to be.

Thanks for reviewing my story. I hope you can update more too!

Mitra1- Ayako as captain? Haha, too bad she can't play basketball. But yeah, she really knows how to deal with all those troublemakers…

Yep, Sawakita is very arrogant, but as you said, he can back it up. He can definitely take Rukawa one-on-one, and unlike Sakuragi, knows a lot about basketball. And Mikio obviously had to improve; last year all he could do was shoot from under the basket. XD

Yeah, Inoue is a genius when it came to story-telling. He makes all the characters so unique and yet still each have their own personalities and realism. Lots of respect for the guy.

Thanks for reviewing my story so much! I appreciate it.

Kalyope Medina Burato- Yeah, the yaoi fics on FanFiction get sort of… overwhelming. Ah well.

Thanks for the compliment, I appreciate it. And I don't think Sendoh ever took over the point guard position, he simply has the skills needed to play it and he does play it briefly against Kainan last year, but I don't think they'd shove him in that role unless they could find someone to back up the small forward position. Too much of a size mismatch if he had to switch.

Thanks for reviewing, and I'm very honored you would think this is how Slam Dunk 2 would be written.

Ira- Hi! Nice to have new reviewers. Glad to see you like the story, and yeah, sometimes I worry about the story getting sort of long… but I want to try and give everyone time to develop, and for the story to unfold at its own pace without rushing. Without all you lovely readers, the story wouldn't have a point anyway.

Thanks for reviewing.

* * *

**Chapter 44 – Shohoku in Trouble**

"Shit, he got past me! Switch, switch!"

The court was hectic with activity as Keita burst past Miyagi, his longer legs allowing him to cover the first step faster than Miyagi could stay in front him. Only snippets of the player's conversations reached the crowd, as the gym was still buzzing with a dull roar from the excitement of the game.

Mitsui quickly switched off Yoshito to help stop Keita, but Keita shot a no-look pass to Yoshito the instant Mitsui was too far to guard him properly. Yoshito shot the three pointer with ample time, and easily made it. 15-6.

"2-0 now, I think?" Yoshito chuckled, backpedaling backwards. Mitsui gave him a dark glare, but kept quiet.

"Okay, stay focused! Stay focused!" Miyagi called, bringing the ball upcourt. Ayako sighed from the benches.

_Behind by 9 already… not only that, all of them look tense…_ Ayako thought, watching Miyagi pass the ball off. _Mitsui and Rukawa are getting caught up against their opponents, Miyagi is thinking too much, and Sakuragi has an exhausting matchup. So… what do we do?_

"Mitsui-senpai!"

Mitsui looked over at Hiroshi, who was posting up on Sato. Hiroshi held a long arm up in the air, and Mitsui threw the ball over Yoshito and fed Hiroshi in the post. Hiroshi leaned against Sato, considering his options.

_This Sato guy can be pretty quick… I have to watch—_

Hiroshi's thoughts were interrupted as he saw another Sannoh jersey heading towards him. Hiroshi quickly scanned the floor, and threw the ball out to the open man.

Rukawa.

"Rukawa!" The crowd watched in expectation as Rukawa leapt into the air, wrist cocked, eyes focused. Rukawa let the shot fly, and it seemed like the tide would turn.

Except the ball bounced off the front of the rim.

_What!_ Rukawa's eyes widened in surprise, as Sakuragi and Hiroshi quickly battled for the rebound. However, Eiji jumped between both of them, taking the rebound.

"What the hell! That's mine!" Sakuragi growled. Eiji took off, not bothering to look back as Sannoh's fast break started.

"Crap! Get back on defense! Go!" Miyagi yelled, already ahead of the pack. Miyagi caught up to Eiji, but realized it was too late. Miyagi quickly wrapped Eiji up, grabbing him by the arm.

"Reach-in foul, Red #4!" the referee whistled, as Eiji lazily shot the ball anyway, banking it in. The referee waved off the shot, indicating it didn't count.

"Shit…" Miyagi muttered, stalking off to guard Keita as Sannoh took the ball back out.

"Miyagi had to foul, or else Sannoh would have gotten the shot without a problem…" Fujima noted. Maki nodded.

"Still, it's not good to have their captain get in foul trouble…" Maki said quietly as Keita inbounded the ball back in. Naturally, Keita passed to Eiji.

"I don't even have to guard you, do I?" Eiji said, referring to the missed jump shot by Rukawa. "After all, you can't beat me."

Rukawa wordlessly narrowed his eyes, not bothering to reply. However, Eiji's words were already affecting Rukawa.

_I missed the shot… and I was wide-open…_ Rukawa thought bitterly. Mitsui and Rukawa had the most consistent shooting on Shohoku, so for him to miss that shot…

Eiji considered Rukawa's sullen face for a moment, looking disappointed Rukawa wasn't mouthing back. "You're pathetic."

Eiji jumped into the air, shooting a quick jumpshot. Rukawa was a second behind him, but it was too late; Eiji's shot was true, and drilled through the net instead of simply swishing by hitting the inner part of the rim, smacking through with a dull thud. 17-6.

"What a powerful jumpshot…" Jin noticed. "The shot has so much force behind it… it doesn't have the beauty of Mitsui's shot, but it is very aggressive."

"Wow, you can tell from just that?" Kiyota said to his senior in wonder. Jin nodded.

"I've seen lots of shooters… but I've never seen a shot like that. But at the same time… I don't really like it."

"Rukawa man, don't listen to him," Mitsui consoled. "The guy's just trying to piss you off."

"Yeah, don't worry about it…" Miyagi added distractedly. Rukawa didn't respond, running back off onto the offense. Mitsui sighed.

"I don't really think he's listening to us…" Mitsui said as Miyagi took the ball from Sakuragi. Miyagi didn't respond either, lost in his own thoughts as well. Mitsui looked at them carefully.

_I guess they both have to sort out their problems by themselves…_ Mitsui thought. Yoshito gave Mitsui a smirk.

"Hey, stop worrying about your teammates. You're about to lose to me."

Mitsui gave Yoshito another glare. "Shut up. You have a long way to go before you can beat me."

Miyagi faced down Keita, choosing to pass the ball off as soon as possible instead of setting anything up for his teammates. Sakuragi caught the ball in the post, going against Mikio again.

"You fat meatball, why the hell do you have to be so big!" Sakuragi snarled, trying to dribble in but unable to power past Mikio. Sakuragi had no choice but to pass the ball back out to Hiroshi.

Hiroshi rotated the ball out to Mitsui, who quickly shot over Yoshito.

"Mitsui! Don't rush it!" Miyagi called, but it was far too late. The ball rimmed out, but Sakuragi stole the offensive rebound by outjumping Mikio.

"Mine!" Sakuragi asserted, landing and quickly shooting again. As soon as he left the floor, though, Sato blocked the ball from behind.

"What the hell!" Sakuragi exclaimed. The ball bounced on the floor, and in the next second Hiroshi and Keita were all racing for the loose ball. Hiroshi was the first to hit the floor, sliding across and grabbing the ball.

"Someone, get over here!" Hiroshi yelled as Keita grabbed the ball in Hiroshi's hands, trying to force a jump ball.

But no one came.

"Jump ball!" The referee whistled. Hiroshi looked over at the rest of the team, but didn't say anything.

_What's wrong with everyone?_ Hiroshi thought as he prepared to jump against Keita. The referee held the ball until everyone gathered around the two.

Hiroshi quickly noted where everyone was, and as soon as the referee threw the ball into the air, Hiroshi smacked the ball over to Mitsui. Mitsui, without hesitation, shot again, and the ball bounced off the rim.

"Damn!" Mitsui cursed. Mikio took the rebound, but Hiroshi quickly tried to wrestle the larger center for the ball. Mikio overpowered Hiroshi and threw the ball over to Keita. Hiroshi tried to interrupt the pass anyway, but only barely tapped the ball with the edges of his fingers.

_Hiroshi is the only one still focused… but he isn't enough…_ Ayako thought. Ayako stood from her seat.

"What's wrong with you boys! Show some spirit!"

Miyagi looked over at Ayako. "Aya-chan…"

"Do you guys want to win this or not! What did you promise me, Ryota?"

Hiroshi chased after Keita, who had already split Shohoku's defense and was going for the layup. Hiroshi jumped into the air, trying to block the shot from behind, but hit Keita's arm instead. The whistle blew just as Keita let the ball fly. The ball hit the rim, then bounced in.

"Shooting foul, Red #5! Basket counts!"

Hiroshi held his hand up, sighing.

Miyagi stood off near mid-court, hands on his hips as Keita prepared to shoot his free-throw.

_What did you promise me, Ryota?_

"_I'll never let us lose this badly ever again. I'll make sure Shohoku never suffers another humiliating loss like this."_

Miyagi placed a hand to his forehead. _But… this isn't like Josei High… Sannoh is on another level…_

Keita took the ball, wrapped it around his back, then shot the free-throw. 20-6.

Miyagi took the ball out, and passed to Mitsui. Mitsui quietly took the ball upcourt, then passed it down to Sakuragi.

"Sakuragi!"

Sakuragi saw Hiroshi motioning for the ball, and passed it back out. Hiroshi watched Sato carefully, holding the ball in triple threat position: he held the ball near and under his right shoulder, looking as though he could pass, shoot, or dribble at any second.

Hiroshi faked a pass over to Mitsui in the corner, and as soon as he saw Sato trail the path of the ball for a brief moment, Hiroshi quickly brought the ball back in and jumped into the air, shooting the three-pointer.

"What the…" Keita watched as Hiroshi shot, surprised that Sato would fall for Hiroshi's basic fake. The ball swished through the net, and stopped Shohoku's bleeding. 20-9.

"Hiro!" Sakuragi grinned in congratulations as Hiroshi's eyes darkened.

_We have to play as serious as possible now, or else there won't be a later…_ Hiroshi quickly went over to guard the inbounds pass, trying to make it as difficult as possible for Yoshito to bring the ball back in.

Sakuragi noticed Hiroshi's change in demeanor and quickly helped. As soon as Yoshito passed the ball in to Sato, Sakuragi covered Hiroshi's man.

"It's a full-court press!" Doumoto called from the benches. _This early in the game?_ _Shohoku must be getting desparate…_

Hiroshi rotated over to Sato, and Sakuragi and Hiroshi quickly double-teamed Sannoh's power forward. Keita soon saw, with dread, that the two had trapped Sato at the corner of the court.

"Keita!" Sato called, trying to get the captain to come help him. Hiroshi reached in, smacking the ball out of Sato's hands. Sakuragi quickly took the ball away, and Hiroshi immediately started running for the basket.

"Sakuragi, now!"

Sakuragi bounced the ball down, managing to put it right between Mikio and Keita's arms to the racing Hiroshi. Hiroshi quickly jumped into the air, slamming in two more points. 20-11.

The Shohoku bench visibly relaxed.

"Whew… down to single digits…" Kuwata muttered, sitting next to Yasuda.

"We're Tensais!" Sakuragi laughed, bumping fists with Hiroshi. Keita watched Hiroshi with interest.

_Hm… really unlike the tapes… we definitely need to keep a closer eye on him…_ Keita looked at Rukawa slowly jogging upcourt. _Him, on the other hand… Eiji is making him look like an amateur…_

"Come on! Let's get back in this!" Sakruagi slapped his hands together, waiting for Sannoh to go on the offensive. Hiroshi simply nodded, placing a hand on Sato's back so he could sense when Sato would take off as he watched the ball-handler.

Keita passed to Eiji once again. _Let's step on Shohoku's weakness then!_

Rukawa knelt down, tracing Eiji's every move. Eiji had stopped talking to Rukawa, which was a welcome relief for Shohoku's ace.

"Rukawa can't seem to do anything against Eiji…" Fujima said quietly, tapping his finger on his thigh. Kiyota shrugged.

"It's what I've been telling you all; Rukawa is just a punk. I was clearly the better player!"

Maki smiled. "Would you like to be in Rukawa's place right now?"

Kiyota rubbed his chin. "Hm… at least I'd dunk over that guy's big head!"

Maki continued to smile in skepticism, not bothering to say anything else to the feisty second year.

Eiji made two very fast fakes: a slight movement of the arm, then a small shift of the feet. Rukawa fell for both, although it was only noticeable from the trained eye: however, his tensing muscles were evident to everyone on the court.

Eiji smirked. "Are you the same Rukawa from last year? Kanagawa's seed? You're just the shadow of the player I faced before."

Eiji's smirk dissolved as he moved forward in a quick blur, and Rukawa's bunched muscles exploded as he tried to keep up. Eiji kept his head down as he ran right into Sakuragi, with Rukawa behind him. Eiji bumped slightly into Sakuragi, pushing off him just enough to not draw the offensivefoul but to clear space as he lifted back into the air, looking as if he could jump out of the building. Rukawa slapped Eiji's arm just as Eiji shot the ball.

"Shooting foul, red #11!"

As soon as the sentence finished, the ball snapped through the net. The referee quickly made a motion as the gym erupted into cheers.

"Basket counts!"

"What the hell was that, fox!" Sakuragi growled. "Can't you guard him? What's the big idea leading him over here?"

Rukawa's eyes darkened, his pent up frustration from being outplayed starting to surface. "Shut up, dou ahou."

"I can take on that fat meatball and that guy at the same time, so don't give me any bullshit!" Sakuragi's voice was beginning to increase as the other players watched the two rivals go at each other. Sakuragi was obviously also frustrated with his own problems of holding Mikio back. Hiroshi placed a hand on Sakuragi's shoulder.

"Hey, you guys…"

Rukawa gave Sakuragi a threatening look. "You aren't playing well either. Do you need Haruko here to cheer you on just for you to play well?"

As soon as Rukawa said those words, he regretted it. Sakuragi's eyes widened slightly, looking like Rukawa had touched a wound that had just begun to heal. Sakuragi, as usual, was the first to take the violent route as he recovered and grabbed Rukawa—and not in the same manner he usually did when the two got into scuffles. It was the same look he had last year; the look when he had first confronted Rukawa on the school roof.

"What did you just say?" Sakuragi's voice was strained and bitter, losing its playful edge.

"Guys, stop! Stop!" Miyagi quickly raced in between the two as Hiroshi held Sakuragi back. Mitsui stepped up too, keeping an eye on Rukawa. The referee walked up to the Shohoku players.

"I don't want to see any trouble here. Are you ready to play?"

Sakuragi turned away from Rukawa. "Yeah, just start the game up. It isn't going to make a difference anyway, this fox couldn't guard anyone."

Rukawa didn't say anything as he let the venting Sakuragi stalk off, but Rukawa already felt he had gone too far. Still, he also turned and walked away, as Eiji went to take his free-throw.

"This is bad…" Youhei said. "I don't know what Rukawa said, but he's really pissed Hanamichi off…"

"I think Rukawa is really at his limits," Takamiya muttered. "He hasn't made anything, while Eiji has scored over him repeatedly… maybe that's why he said what he did to Hanamichi…"

"Come on, cool off," Hiroshi said, patting Sakuragi's back. Eiji shot his free-throw, and easily made it. 23-11.

Ayako covered her face. _This is bad, this is bad… they're starting to break down from the inside…_

"Okay, come on, let's get some points back," Miyagi said, sounding a bit tired as he handled the ball upcourt. The clock read 14:31.

_Hiroshi is playing the best right now… we have to get all we can from him…_ Miyagi was forced to stop his dribble as Keita hounded him, barely giving him room to operate. Miyagi turned his back to Keita, placing his body between the other point guard and the ball. Miyagi jerked his head towards Hiroshi, who got his message and ran over. Hiroshi took the ball and quickly used Miyagi as a pick, running right past Keita as Sato had to go around Miyagi.

"Go, Hiro!" The Sakuragi Army called from the stands as Hiroshi made a quick spin move around the slower Mikio. Hiroshi jumped into the air and shoveled a pass into Sakuragi, who was now free. Sakuragi leapt into the air and dunked the ball with rage, raising the Shohoku bench to their feet.

"Great penetration, guys!" Miyagi clapped his hands and pointed at Hiroshi. _Sorry Ayako, I'll try and keep that promise for you…if I can…_

Hiroshi pointed back, looking a bit tired from running around so much.

"This isn't enough… Shohoku's in disarray…" Takeshi said quietly. "Miyagi isn't getting the chance to set up the team as much as he should…"

"That quiet guy isn't doing too well either."

Jin looked up. "Sendoh!"

Sendoh's usually cheery face was a little disappointed as he stood at the steps of the aisle. The rest of the Ryonan team stood behind him, with the exception of Taoka-sensei. Sendoh had already changed into his street clothes, wearing a simple white tee-shirt and jeans.

Maki looked up at Sendoh, and the two nodded at each other in respect. "Right. Rukawa is not playing that well."

Yoshito quickly shot over Mitsui,but the shot missed. Sakuragi tried to grab the rebound, but Mikio managed to grab the offensive rebound by using his body to box Sakuragi out. Mikio threw the ball back out to Keita, who passed right back to Yoshito without a word. Yoshito took a step forward and shot another mid-range jumper over the distracted Mitsui, this time catching nothing but the net.

"Wow, you better score on me soon or we might have a sweep on our hands," Yoshito chuckled, turning back to play defense.

_Damn punk…_ Mitsui ground his teeth.

Koshino tapped Takuma. "Hey, find some seats for us."

"All right," Takuma said, moving off to scare some people away. Sendoh shook his head.

"It's so disappointing… I thought Shohoku could at least play with some spirit… but all they're doing is getting wrapped up in their own pride."

Maki smiled to himself. _As usual, Sendoh… you spot Shohoku's weakness within a few moments of observation…_

Miyagi sighed, taking the ball into his hands. Hiroshi stood next to the shorter point guard as the other Shohoku players raced back onto offense.

"Hm. This is sort of challenging," Hiroshi said jokingly, scratching his head with one hand and taking the ball with the other as Miyagi inbounded the ball to him. Miyagi smiled weakly at the power forward.

"Any suggestions?"

Hiroshi looked pensive for a brief second. "Guess I'll have to try it then, the next time we have to play defense. Let's hope I don't get in foul trouble."

"What?" Miyagi said as Hiroshi raced off. Miyagi chased after Hiroshi, curious as to what Hiroshi's words meant as Shohoku's offense set up against the seemingly unstoppable Sannoh.


	46. Chapter 45

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday.  
_

**Reviews:**

Yun Fei- No offense taken, I'm always amazed people still review after my long hiatus. Thanks a lot for sticking with me.

Haruko is still picking someone up at the station, but she should be around again soon, in either the next chapter or the chapter after that—either way, it'll be soon.

Yep, let's hope Shohoku can start pulling off some miracles. And how is your writing going?

Yoka- Hey, nice to see you again! Good to see you like the fic.

Hm… I can't quite remember who does that free-throw routine, but it's not Dwayne or Ray. But yeah, it's sort of familiar, but I can't immediately remember it.

Adjustment- You're about to be disappointed after this chapter about Hiroshi. XD Thanks for sticking with the story.

Iron Duke- Thanks man. How'd your finals go? And when's the next basketball season start for you dude?

Addicted to SD- Yeah, it seems like I've been gone for a while. XD Thanks for reviewing!

Flip Jeudi- Ick, just a lot of school work piling up, that's all. Thanks for appreciating the story, and thanks a lot for the review!

Mitra1- Explanations will come… someday. Maybe. If I remember. XD

Thanks a lot for the review, and sadly, Ayako cannot be captain... unless someone else writes a story about that or something. XD

Laziness Incarnate- Thanks for being understanding, and you're updates aren't delayed… just… timely. Yes, that's the word. :P

And will I turn it around? Hm… I dunno. XD

* * *

**Chapter 45 – Setback**

Sendoh settled into a chair with the rest of the Ryonan team, an aisle across from Takeshi, Maki, Fujima, Jin, and Kiyota.

"Who's guarding the quiet guy?"

Maki looked over at Sendoh. "Sawakita Eiji, basketball prodigy. Said to be number 1 of Japan… he just came back from America to play against Shohoku."

"Hm… his name sure sounds familiar…" Sendoh scratched his head, his brow furrowing. "Oh, right, now I remember. I mentioned him to that guy last year."

Sendoh grinned. "This is my first time seeing the two up against each other. It'll be interesting to watch… if that guy plays better, that is."

Rukawa motioned for the ball as Hiroshi and Miyagi crossed the halfcourt line. Hiroshi nodded slightly at Rukawa, then shifted his gaze towards Sato. Miyagi quickly peeled away, drawing Keita away as he ran into the paint. Hiroshi passed quickly into Sakuragi, who was posting up on Mikio.

"Hanamichi!"

Miyagi zoomed around Mikio's huge body, appearing in front of Sakuragi. Sakuragi dropped the ball off for Miyagi, who was momentarily free as Keita had to go around Mikio as well. However, Eiji was beginning to switch on Rukawa to help as well. Miyagi didn't look fazed at all as he did a behind-the-back bounce pass right to Rukawa.

"Rukawa's open again!" Doumoto called from the benches, surprised that the Shohoku team had split their defense so easily again. _Miyagi's speed hasn't dropped at all from last year… if anything, he's moving faster due to experience…_

Rukawa lifted into the air, shooting another jump shot that came up short, hitting the rim with a clank. Sakuragi jumped into the air, noticing that Mikio didn't like jumping for rebounds.

"You better move faster, meatball!" Sakuragi chortled, snagging the rebound in one hand. As soon as he landed, he passed back over to Hiroshi at the top of the key. Hiroshi shot a jump shot of his own, but it missed as well. This time, Keita took the rebound.

"Go Sannoh!" The crowd cheered as Shohoku backpedaled onto defense, Hiroshi staying close to Sakuragi as Keita raced downcourt. Miyagi matched his speed, but was still having trouble trying to stay in front of him as Keita crossed the ball over, trying to get past Miyagi.

"Don't look down on me!" Miyagi shouted, reaching in to hit the ball away. Keita stopped his dribble and gripped the ball firmly, so Miyagi was unable to get a steal. As soon as Miyagi lessened his grip on the ball, Keita threw a bullet pass to a streaking Yoshito.

"Switch!" Mitsui called, running into a screen set by Sato. Yoshito jumped into the air, about to shoot a runner. Sakuragi quickly leaped into the air to contest Yoshito.

"Yoshito! Watch it—" Keita called, albeit too late as Hiroshi soared in from the side, also helping Sakuragi to block the shot. Hiroshi put his hand on the ball as Yoshito flailed in midair, unable to get his shot off. However, as Yoshito's body moved, Hiroshi accidentally made contact with Yoshito's elbow.

"Shooting foul, red #5!" The referee quickly whistled, pointing at Hiroshi. Sakuragi was quick to stand up for the power forward.

"What the hell? Hiro blocked that guy!"

"I didn't. I touched his elbow," Hiroshi said quietly to Sakuragi, accepting the foul. Sakuragi fumed for a second, but didn't push it either.

"After I make these two free throws… technically it's 4-0?" Yoshito chuckled at Mitsui. "I was expecting much better from you."

_Cocky bastard, missmissmiss…_ Mitsui cursed as Yoshito shot his free throw. It swished, and the scoreboard clicked to 26-13.

Yoshito gave Mitsui another confident smirk as the referee passed the ball back to Yoshito. Yoshito stared at the rim for a brief second, then shot quickly, the ball swishing cleanly through the net. 27-13.

"That Yoshito really is a pretty good shooter…" Noma muttered as Hiroshi took the ball out.

"Mitsui is better!" Nori asserted. He quickly stood, raising his Mitsui flag.

"Go Micchi!"

"Go Rukawa!" The Rukawa Brigade called from two rows in front of the group, going into a dance routine that made many in the crowd sweatdrop. As in on cue, Miyagi passed to Rukawa, who stared down Eiji.

_Have to at least get one in…_ Rukawa thought. Rukawa quickly exploded forward, going full speed as he tried to get closer to the basket. Rukawa abruptly stopped, then leaped into the air and shot a fadeaway. Right as he was about to release, Eiji got a hand in Rukawa's face, blocking his vision. The shot hit the corner of the rim, but Hiroshi came from the other side and stole the rebound. Hiroshi didn't stop moving as he quickly swung the ball back out to Miyagi, not giving Sato a chance to catch up with him.

"Slow it down! Let's catch up!" Miyagi yelled, dribbling in place. Miyagi waved his hand, motioning for Sakuragi to come closer. Sakuragi understood Miyagi and jogged over, setting the screen as Miyagi rushed forward, catching Keita off guard with his speed as he raced past Sakuragi, Keita, and Mikio.

"Rukawa, now!" Miyagi shouted, noticing Rukawa racing for the basket. Miyagi lobbed the ball up for Rukawa, but Eiji smacked the lob away, interrupting the alley-oop.

"Shit!" Miyagi cursed as the ball flew out to mid-court. Keita scooped up the ball and easily raced down the court and laid the ball in. 29-13.

"Don't try anything fancy, Ryota…" Ayako muttered under her breath. "You guys just need to catch up, first and foremost…"

"Play me one-on-one," Eiji smiled at Rukawa. "You don't need your little point guard over there setting you up."

"Shut. Up." Rukawa gave Eiji a cold glare.

Miyagi gritted his teeth. _Whatever we do, we can't let their lead get past 20 in the first half… I don't think we can pull the same miracles we did last year…_

Hiroshi threw the ball in to Sakuragi, and the whole Shohoku team moved to the other side of the court. Doumoto rubbed his chin.

An isolation play with Sakuragi… interesting… I suppose they think Sakuragi can take Mikio on?

Sakuragi pressed against Mikio, then quickly spun, dribbling the ball towards the center of the paint as Mikio followed. Sakuragi jumped into the air and shot a short baby jump shot over Mikio's massive frame, and the ball swished neatly through.

"Yes! Tensai!" Sakuragi pumped his fist in the air as Doumoto watched in surprise.

"Yeah, Hanamichi!" The Sakuragi Army called. A few other members of the audience cheered as well, recognizing Sakuragi from last year.

_Looks like Sakuragi really did learn a bit…_ Miyagi thought, as he tried to guard Keita.

"That Keita really looks good," Takeshi admitted from the stands. "Very solid playing. He's not particularly athletic, but he is a competent ball handler and good scorer."

Fujima nodded. _Still… Miyagi, don't you think that you can compete with him? Aren't you looking to become the number one point guard? Keita is one of the many challenges you'll have to face…_

Keita threw a one-handed pass to Eiji, continuing to abuse the matchup. Eiji drove past Rukawa, cradling the ball against his body as he jumped into the air, throwing a floater over Sakuragi that banked in.

_Every time they pass in to Eiji, they score_, Mitsui thought, racing back onto offense. _Can we really stop that?_

Ayako looked over at Anzai. "Sensei, don't you think they need a timeout? We're falling behind fast…"

Anzai sat silently, having not said a word since the team took the floor. "Even if I took a timeout, I do not think they're in the frame of mind to listen."

Ayako sighed. _That's right… aside from the boys being so wrapped up in themselves, they must not be happy with Anzai's decision of keeping the matchup from them…_

Miyagi wiped sweat from his brow, looking at the perspiration on his wristband blankly. _This is definitely one of the most exhausting games we've played… and Keita's defense is making this even harder…_

"Ryo-chin!" Sakuragi called, sweat pouring down his face as he motioned for the ball again. Miyagi passed the ball high so Keita couldn't steal it away, and Sakuragi caught the ball with one hand. Sakuragi tried backing into Mikio, but Mikio didn't budge at all.

"Damn!" Sakuragi threw the ball back out to Mitsui, who quickly shot a jumper over Yoshito. The shot hit the inner part of the rim and bounced out, and Mikio took the rebound over Sakuragi without even jumping.

"It's very hard to get rebounds against you," Mikio smiled at Sakuragi innocently.

"You got lucky that time!" Sakuragi growled as Mikio passed the ball to Keita. Keita didn't hesitate as he passed the ball to Eiji once again. Eiji didn't hesitate either, as he crossed over Rukawa quickly and raced for the basket. Hiroshi went into the air to try and block the shot, but Eiji plowed into Hiroshi anyway and shot the ball as the two fell onto the floor. The ball hit the edge of the backboard, rolled slowly around the rim, and fell through.

"Shooting foul, red #5! Basket counts!" The crowd erupted into more cheers, delighted that Sannoh was playing so well.

Hiroshi picked himself off the floor, wincing a bit. Ayako bit her lip in worry.

"That's Hiroshi's third foul… two more and he'll foul out…"

Miyagi looked over at Ayako questioningly, indicating that he was also wondering what he should do. Ayako shrugged her shoulder slightly, and Miyagi pointed at Anzai. Ayako shrugged again, as she didn't know if he wanted a substitution or not.

Eiji shot his free throw, and again it was a make. 34-15.

Anzai nodded, making his decision. "Kuwata, go warm up."

"Right, Sensei…" Kuwata stood from the bench, shedding his warmup outfit. Keita noticed the substitution out of the corner of his eye, and began guarding Miyagi tighter.

_Damn, stop it!_ Miyagi raged, trying to quickly spin past Keita. Keita poked the ball free, and took it away before Miyagi noticed. Keita zipped downcourt, waiting for Hiroshi to show up…

And he did.

Hiroshi reached in, trying to steal the ball away, and Keita moved away. Sakuragi was coming to Hiroshi's aid, so Keita stopped and pulled the ball back. Keita waited for Hiroshi to enter the half circle under the basket, and as soon as he did, Keita ran forward, aiming to lay the ball in. Hiroshi didn't jump to block, and Keita ran over Hiroshi, the two tumbling to the floor.

"Blocking foul, red #5!" The referee whistled. Sakuragi burst into anger.

"What! Hiro got run over by that guy!"

"He was in the restricted area," the referee pointed to the half circle under the rim. "Also, he didn't establish his position."

"Let it go, Sakuragi-senpai," Hiroshi said quietly. "I'm out for the half. That's my fourth foul."

Sakuragi clenched his jaw. "Damn…"

Hiroshi shrugged, moving off towards the benches as he could now accept the substitution with the stop in gameplay. "Sorry guys."

Hiroshi slapped hands with Kuwata, and the two exchanged places on the floor. Hiroshi went straight for the bench and hung his head as he draped a towel over it.

_Damnit… not a single clean block… did I really not learn anything?_

"Keita is very good…" Maki sighed. "He knew Hiroshi was in foul trouble, and went straight at him, taking the gamble and hoping for the defensive foul on Hiroshi. Now Sannoh has even more of an advantage, since Hiroshi was playing rather well. An intelligent move."

"Right…" Jin mumbled. _Sannoh is definitely an amazing team…_

Miyagi looked over at Anzai, troubled. "Sensei, we need a timeout."

Anzai nodded. "Time out, please," Anzai requested to the scorer's table.

"Timeout, Shohoku!" The teams silently went to their respective benches. Miyagi and Sakuragi collapsed on the benches, breathing hard as they took a swig of Pocari Sweat. Rukawa and Mitsui stood drinking their Pocari Sweat, deep in thought, while Kuwata continued to stretch his limbs.

"…Sensei?" Ayako looked at Anzai in expectation. Anzai didn't say a word, and Miyagi looked down at his feet.

"Hanamichi."

"Hm?" Sakuragi's ears perked, as he continued to drink deeply.

"I'm running the offense through you whenever I can."

Rukawa narrowed his eyes, but didn't object. Mitsui continued to stand there, thinking. Miyagi sighed.

"All we can do right now is try to stay in the game. Just… we just can't get blown out," Miyagi looked up. "Shohoku won't be embarrassed by any team. If we're going to lose, we won't lose by a huge margin. We're going to fight until the last minute. You guys got that?"

The other players stared at Miyagi, and Miyagi looked back down at the floor.

"Okay. I had to make that clear." Miyagi abruptly stood, tossing the towel and his drink back on the bench. "Unless Sensei has anything to say, let's get back on the floor."

Ayako nudged Anzai. "Sensei?"

Anzai shook his head, and Ayako frowned. The other players quickly put their stuff back and followed Miyagi just as the referee motioned that the time-out was over.

"Sensei? Do you really have nothing to say?" Ayako looked at Anzai irritably. "Do you really think that those guys can work everything out on their own?"

"I'll speak at halftime," Anzai replied. Ayako was about to protest more, but kept her mouth shut as she noticed Anzai's pensive mood.

_Ryota's tone was not good… the way he delivered it, was like he expected them to lose…_ Ayako thought unhappily.

"Meatball, get ready for this Tensai!" Sakuragi grinned as Keita went to shoot his free-throws. Keita made both of them with ease, and the score ran up to 36-15.

_We have to keep it under twenty…_ Miyagi thought, as he took the ball out. _We_ have _to!_

"Ryo-chin!" Sakuragi called from under the basket. Miyagi caught Sakuragi's eye as he crossed the half-court line, dribbling smoothly. Miyagi threw an overhead pass to Sakuragi, who quickly put the ball on the floor and tried to maneuver around, knowing he couldn't power his way in against Mikio. Miyagi saw his problem and quickly ran in.

"Hanamichi!"

Sakuragi noted Miyagi out of the corner of his eye, then dropped the ball off for him. Miyagi sped around Mikio and Sakuragi, leaving Keita behind as he threw in a reverse-layup.

"Nice, captain!" Kuwata called. Miyagi nodded in his direction.

_We have a size disadvantage now… so…_

"Sakuragi, keep your eyes open and switch off the big guy if you need to," Miyagi advised, running downcourt with Shohoku's center. "Without Hiroshi with you in the paint, we lose a lot of size."

"Got it, Ryo-chin!" Sakuragi said, reaching the post and turning to face Mikio's lumbering body. Miyagi moved to cover Keita, who passed off to Yoshito. Yoshito threw the ball in to Sato, who was being marked by Kuwata. Miyagi grimaced as Sato backed down Kuwata and threw in a hook shot. 38-17.

Miyagi cradled the ball against his chest as soon as Kuwata had inbounded to him. Miyagi slowly took a breath, and his gaze hardened. _I can't beat Keita with just my speed… I'm going to need to just try to shake him with anything else I can throw at him…_

Miyagi threw it in to Sakuragi, who briefly considered his options and threw it back out to Miyagi. Miyagi slowed his dribble for a brief second as soon as he saw Keita approach him, then raced forward, using Mitsui as a screen as he zoomed past everyone, bumping into Mikio as he threw in a floater.

"Blocking foul, white #13! Basket counts!"

"Ryo-chin! Holding out on us before?" Sakuragi grinned. Miyagi returned Sakuragi's smile.

_Give the team what it needs… right, Anzai-sensei?_ Miyagi thought, stepping up for his free-throw. _Let's hope we can go on a run of our own before halftime…_

Miyagi shot his free-throw, realizing it was off as soon as it left his hand. "Crap! Rebound!"

Sakuragi was in the air instantly, straining his arm out as he tipped the ball back in as the Sannoh players looked on in shock.

"Tensai!" Sakuragi gloated, pumping his fist in the air. Mitsui nodded at Sakuragi proudly as he backpedaled onto defense, and Sakuragi grinned back.

"Tch!" Yoshito scoffed, throwing the ball in to Eiji.

"One-on-one again!" The crowd watched carefully as the two aces squared off against each other, once again.

_Can't lose…_ Rukawa thought, getting ready for anything Eiji could throw at him. _Have to watch for it…_

Eiji made a quick fake inside, then pulled back and shot a jumper. Rukawa was able to read through it and leaped into the air, desperately trying to mess up the shot. The ball hit the edge of the rim, rolled around… and dropped in.

_Damn!_ Rukawa thought darkly, racing back onto offense. 40-21.

"Before Shohoku tries to go on a run, Sawakita crushes it…" Maki noted, leaning back in his seat. "Can Shohoku pull themselves within respectable distance for a victory?"

"Not with that stupid monkey on the court," Kiyota muttered, continuing to insult Sakuragi behind his back.

Sakuragi sneezed on the court, and Miyagi looked at him oddly. "You okay over there, Sakuragi?"

"Yeah Ryo-chin!" Sakuragi called back, rubbing his nose. Miyagi nodded, passing the ball off to Rukawa this time.

We have to get Rukawa going… he's indispensable if we hope to win… 

Rukawa gripped the ball tightly, eyeing the basket. Rukawa exposed the ball just a bit, hoping for Eiji to take the bait and try to steal. As soon as he saw Eiji reach in a bit, Rukawa reacted, running forward towards the basket. However, Eiji easily poked the ball free.

"Eiji read through Rukawa's plan!" The crowd cheered, enjoying the duel between the two aces.

_Shit!_ Rukawa was about to turn back to chase the ball, but stopped and turned back when he saw Mitsui racing for the ball, a step ahead of Yoshito. Mitsui reached the ball, looked up, and threw the ball high as he crashed into the seats of the Sannoh bench. Miyagi raced in from the corner, catching the ball and throwing a no-look midair pass straight to Rukawa. Rukawa caught the ball, and didn't hesitate as he leaped into the air and threw down a dunk over Sato.

"Shooting foul, white #8! Basket counts!"

"Rukawa! Finally!" The Shohoku bench erupted in cheers, pleased their ace finally scored. Sakuragi and Kuwata went over to help Mitsui back up.

"I take it Rukawa finally scored?" Mitsui smiled, as Sakuragi and Kuwata each took an arm and pulled Shohoku's shooter to his feet.

"That dumb fox. If he hadn't scored, the old man would have taken him out," Sakuragi said as Mitsui stretched his legs, making sure that he didn't injure anything.

Rukawa breathed in a bit, his tensed muscles slacking a bit. _Finally…_

Miyagi grinned_. He may not have scored over Eiji, but maybe this will push him in the right direction…_

As Rukawa went to take his free throws, Miyagi's grin grew a bit wider. _And maybe… Sannoh has just awoken our ace!_


	47. Chapter 46

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews:

Emberlion- Yeah, school is such a major kick in the butt, no matter where you are. XD

You hit it right on the head. Shohoku played so well against Sannoh last year because they were so united for the cause, and they were fighting for their dreams or out of desperation, like you said. And yeah, the team is missing chemistry and having a lot of problems on the inside, and it's holding them back. So naturally, there will be someone there for them in this chapter…

Anyway, thanks a lot for the review, it's always lovely to hear from you. Good luck with school (-.-) and update soon!

Adjustment- Yep, Hiroshi is out until after halftime. Thanks for the review.

Yun Fei- Thanks a lot for your compliments! I see that you're writing Gundam SEED fics. lately, but unfortunately I haven't seen the series. I'm sure your writing is still great, though! XD I'll still look out for the stuff you write. Thanks for the review, too!

Iron Duke- Oh MAN, dude, you have to go check out the manga sometime, it's pretty good stuff. And yeah, most of Slam Dunk has the guys playing man-to-man, although there were a few times they busted out the zone or half-court defense. Thanks a lot for the review!

Laziness Incarnate- Yeah, Inoue always left the bench in the cold, and rightfully so—the bench sorta sucks. –cough-

Thanks a lot for your review, I always appreciate hearing from you!

Kalyope Medina Burato- Cool, I'm always happy to hear it when people say they like the basketball in the fics., mostly because most of the SD stories on FanFiction don't focus on the basketball realistically…

Thanks a lot for your review, and it's good to see you like the characters.

Migo- Yeah, I have same NBA Finals predictions as you. I like Detroit and San Antonio, so it doesn't really make a difference to me who wins. And with Dwayne Wade out with that injury, I think Detroit MIGHT make it, although they got slammed at Miami last time.

Glad to see you got your Internet back, and thanks for the review.

Addicted to SD- Thanks for the comments and your review!

Loyalizta- Wow, I am very honored that my story was your first review, and hopefully, I won't be your last; there are tons of great stories out there. Thanks a lot for your compliments, I'm glad to see my characters aren't out of place and in character, I really wanted to write a sequel worthy of something Inoue would draw (that would be the ultimate compliment, if he drew scenes from my fiction!). Your review wasn't too long at all, and again, thanks a lot for your compliments and your review!

Mitra1- Yeah, Hiroshi's going to have to be a lot more careful in how he plays from here on out. And Anzai will definitely be trying to reach them and inspiring them to play better. Thanks a lot for the review!

* * *

**Chapter 46 – Letdown**

Yayoi nibbled on the edge of her pinky thoughtfully, a habit she'd picked up that at times she was embarrassed about. Yayoi quickly jotted on her clipboard as the game went on, taking notes on the respective players.

_Sannoh is so strong this year… it's hard to tell if they've lost any ground since last year…_ Yayoi stopped writing abruptly.

_And Shohoku… what about them? Are they better? Or… are they worse?_

Rukawa took a deep breath and shot his free-throw, which hit the edge of the rim and bounced off.

"Damnit, fox!" Sakuragi jumped into the air, taking the offensive rebound. "Can't even make free-throws!"

Sakuragi quickly threw the ball out to Mitsui, who tried to dribble in against Yoshito. However, he was forced to pull back a bit, surprised at Yoshito's tight defense.

_This guy guards a bit better than I thought… but he is the captain, after all…_

Mitsui shot a quick fadeaway that came up sort, except this time Miyagi managed to take the rebound, moving at his blurring speed to throw in another reverse layup before Sannoh's defense could recover.

Doumoto clapped his hands. "Get some rebounds, Sannoh! Control the boards!"

"That guy is kidding himself!" Sakuragi laughed, running downcourt. "With this Tensai around, you guys won't be able to get anything!"

Hiroshi silently studied Eiji as soon as Keita passed him the ball, trying to note all of the Sannoh players' abilities. Rukawa was guarding Eiji intensely, exerting all of his energy into keeping Eiji from scoring again. Eiji was hardly fazed, using his enormous leg-power to explode past Rukawa, then stopping outside of Sakuragi's area and shooting another strong jumper that slammed through the net with astounding force. 42-25.

Hiroshi shook his head in disbelief_. Amazing player… I've never seen Rukawa outplayed this badly… the only one even close to Eiji right now that I've seen is Sendoh…_

Miyagi poked Mitsui on the shoulder as the two went back downcourt. "Hey, do you think you can help Rukawa out? Double-team Eiji if you get the chance, the guy is killing us."

Mitsui instantly refused. "I can't, I have to guard Yoshito."

Miyagi frowned. "You're getting caught up in trying to take that guy one-on-one. It's not helping our team, you know."

Mitsui glared at Miyagi. "I know what I'm doing."

"Actually, why don't you take his advice?" Yoshito taunted as soon as Mitsui got onto the offense, having eavesdropped on the two. "You haven't made a single shot against me. You don't want to get_ too _embarrassed, do you?"

Mitsui gritted his teeth. "Keep your mouth shut, you have a long way to go before you can beat me."

Miyagi sighed in exasperation and fatigue. _Mitsui's pride… can't help it, I guess…_

Miyagi rotated the ball in to Kuwata, who passed off to Sakuragi. Once again, Sakuragi posted up Mikio, determined to get another shot off.

_Thank goodness for Sakuragi's endurance…_ Ayako thought from the benches. _I'm sure many other centers would have thrown in the towel against the physically exhausting matchup against Mikio…_

Ayako smiled. _But then again… that's always been Sakuragi's style… he releases his true potential when there is challenge…_

"Meatball, watch it!" Sakuragi grunted as Mikio tried to reach in with a fleshy hand. Sakuragi tried to dribble his way in, but even his leg strength couldn't back down Sannoh's mammoth center.

_Last year I only had to use most of my energy defending him… and when I played him on offense, he was much slower…_ Sakuragi thought, stopping his dribble.

"Ryo-chin!" Sakuragi was forced to again throw the ball out, with the shot clock ticking down.

"Damn!" Miyagi was about to race forward but stopped himself, noticing Keita had been ready for him.

_This guy can't make long range shots, I have to keep him out!_ Keita was about to put more pressure on Miyagi, but Miyagi grinned slightly as he threw a bullet pass to a streaking Mitsui, catching both Keita and Yoshito off-guard. Mitsui gracefully laid the ball off the backboard, and scored his first points of the game.

"Micchi!" Nori called from the stands, standing and waving his flag. "Beautiful!"

"I'm going to show you what real basketball looks like," Mitsui asserted, giving Yoshito a thumbs-down. Yoshito shrugged absently.

"You're still far behind me," Yoshito stated, taking the pass from Keita. "And if you think—"

The short point guard of Shohoku quickly raced by and stole the ball away, interrupting Yoshito's banter. Keita tried to catch up with Miyagi, but Miyagi was already a few steps ahead of him as he made a lay-up of his own.

"Ryota! Good job!" Ayako yelled from the benches. Doumoto instantly began shouting at Yoshito from the sidelines.

"Stay focused! Don't get comfortable in your lead!"

Miyagi wiped sweat from his forehead and again began guarding Keita, the two point guards refusing to give in to the other.

"This is a great match, despite the point difference…" Fujima smiled. "You could say that this will be a huge test on Miyagi's ability; he has to really raise his game to go against Keita."

"Shit!" Miyagi grunted as Keita tried to get past him, but was unsuccessful as Miyagi was able to stay close. Keita swung the ball in to Mikio, as Sakuragi lowered his waist to guard him.

"Come on, meatball!" Sakuragi taunted, pushing against Mikio's huge back. "Just try and score over this Tensai!"

Mikio tried to fake Sakuragi, but he was far too slow and Sakuragi slapped the ball out of Mikio's hand. The whistle blew a second later.

"Reach-in foul, red #10!"

"What!" Sakuragi was about to protest before Miyagi delivered a swift kick to Sakuragi's behind.

"Don't be so eager for a steal! Just get a defensive stop and it'll be good enough!" Miyagi pointed to the scoreboard. "We only have a little while until halftime, we can't afford to have you guys in any more foul trouble or to finish the half poorly!"

Sakuragi looked at the time, which read 4:31. The scores were 42-29.

"We're within striking distance," Miyagi muttered to himself as Sato inbounded the ball, passing over to Yoshito. Mitsui stuck a hand in Yoshito's face, trying to completely block off his vision. Yoshito drove towards the basket, and before he reached the paint he passed back to Sato, abusing the size mismatch against Kuwata. Sato easily posted up on Kuwata, who still tried his hardest to keep Sato out. However, Sato was still able to get in close enough and shot a quick turnaround jumper. The ball was instantly smacked away from the rim with resounding force, sending the ball back out towards the stands.

"Sannoh's ball!" The referee called. Mitsui nodded at Sakuragi.

"Good block!" Mitsui yelled to the redhead. Sakuragi grinned.

"Trying to score over my teammate? In your dreams!" Sakuragi was instantly at Sato's side, making sure he wouldn't forget the block. "If you try that again, the ball will hit you in the face and not go out of bounds!"

"Thanks, Sakuragi," Kuwata breathed. Sakuragi waved it off, acting like it wasn't a huge deal even though he had been gloating at Sato seconds before.

"Nice weak-side defense…" Doumoto observed, interested. "That Sakuragi plays on instinct, but that was something he probably wouldn't have done last year…"

_Or could he?_ Doumoto remembered the final stretch of the Sannoh game, when Sakuragi pulled off every significant hustle play, every crucial rebound, every important block… and at the end, the imperative shot for Shohoku. Doumoto shook his head, trying to remove that nagging doubt.

_I have faith in my team… and besides, Sakuragi is better… but not amazing…_

Keita inbounded the ball to Sato, who threw the ball in to Mikio. Sakuragi readied himself to just hold Mikio back and give him trouble, taking Miyagi's advice. The precious seconds of the shot clock clicked down, as Keita noticed it and yelled at Mikio.

"Watch the shot clock! Pass it out if you can't get a shot!"

"Right," Mikio's agreed passively, acting like the Mikio of last year as he obeyed orders. Mikio passed out to Eiji, who shot a high-arching three-pointer over Rukawa's defense. The three-pointer bounced off the inner part of the rim and Sakuragi stole the rebound.

"Nice defensive stop!" Ayako continued to cheer from the sidelines as Hiroshi watched the game intently along with the rest of the bench. Miyagi zoomed downcourt as soon as Sakuragi passed him the ball, pushing his dribble and his speed to its limit as he veered around Mikio, using him as an obstacle for Keita to get around. Miyagi stopped for a brief moment as soon as he crossed the half-court line, seeing that it was a three-on-one.

"No way would he go in…" Takeshi said from the stands, then looked in shock as Miyagi challenged the three Sannoh players, spinning past Sato and jumping against Eiji and Yoshito, then turning his back towards the rim and watching the rest of the court.

_There!_ Miyagi thought, throwing the ball out as he crashed to the floor, landing on his rear and skidding out of bounds. Rukawa nonchalantly caught the ball, paused for a brief moment to set his feet, and shot the unguarded jumper, this time making the shot with a swish. 42-31.

Maki shook his head in disbelief. _Miyagi… I don't know if that was brilliance or stupidity… but it was still remarkable…_

"Get back on defense!" Miyagi called, pushing himself up, wincing a bit from the fall. Rukawa breathed a sigh of relief, pleased to make the shot that he thought he should make. Shohoku's bench was cheering already as the Shohoku team ran onto defense.

"Almost within single digits!"

The crowd was becoming more raucous, seeing such an exciting game. However, most of the cheers were still for Sannoh.

The Sannoh team didn't look shaken at all, maintaining their composure as Keita handled the ball and neatly passed to Mikio again. Mikio bodied against Sakuragi for a brief moment, then passed out to Yoshito. Yoshito shot a three-pointer over Mitsui, and the scores were pushed back to 45-31.

Yoshito held up his hand. "5-1. And your shot was a simple layup."

Miyagi ignored Mitsui and Yoshito's rivalry, taking the ball and passing in to Kuwata. Kuwata dribbled steadily, staying out of reach of Sato as he tried to work the ball in to Rukawa. Rukawa moved around, trying to lose Eiji but was unsuccessful in doing so.

"You still aren't that great at moving without the ball," Eiji whispered to Rukawa, this time fronting him, daring Kuwata to pass to their ace. "Didn't you learn anything while I was in America?"

Rukawa ignored him, taking a step back and continuing to motion for the ball. Kuwata didn't want to turn the ball over and passed to Mitsui. Mitsui noticed he was at his spot; he was outside the three-point arc.

"You."

Yoshito looked up slightly at Mitsui's command. Mitsui grinned.

"5-2."

"What?" Yoshito asked just as Mitsui leaped into the air, shooting the three-pointer delicately, the ball snapping through the net and nudging Shohoku a bit closer.

"Man of Fire!" Nori continued to cheer as the Sakuragi Army covered their faces in unison.

_Mitsui just had to get his shot going…_ Jin thought, sitting silently with the rest of the star basketball players. _Hopefully now he can get his offense started…_

"An eye for an eye, a shot for a shot," Mitsui said to Yoshito as they jogged downcourt. "We'll see who wins this."

Miyagi, on the other hand, wasn't looking too great as he tripped a bit over his feet trying to guard Keita. Fatigue was beginning to set in for him, as he was trying to will Shohoku back. _Isn't this what you would have done, Akagi? Sometimes it wasn't just your skill, but how you handled it all psychologically…_

Ayako noticed Miyagi's exhaustion, and quickly nudged Anzai. "Sensei, Ryota looks tired…"

Anzai nodded. "I know. But because it's him… we need to keep him out a bit longer."

Ayako raised an eyebrow in confusion. "'Because it's him?' Because he's captain?"

"No."

Ayako looked over at Hiroshi. Hiroshi leaned back a bit.

"I think Sensei means that Miyagi needs to work this out on his own, and taking him out when he's trying to force Shohoku back in is going to hurt his pride and the rhythm he's playing in."

Ayako bit her lip_. That makes sense, I guess… but what will we do when Ryota needs that rest?_

"Switch!" Miyagi called, running in to a screen by Sato. Kuwata covered for Miyagi, trying to stay in front of Keita. However, Kuwata simply was not as fast as Miyagi and in a few seconds Keita was able to get a step ahead of him. Keita passed in to Mikio, and catching Sakuragi in a moment of distraction, Mikio laid the ball up and in.

"Shit!" Sakuragi instantly berated himself for not paying attention to Mikio as the scores switched to 47-34.

"My bad, Hanamichi!" Miyagi called as Kuwata inbounded the ball to him. _I'm just getting kind of tired…_

Miyagi took a deep breath, forcing his weary legs to keep that bounce in them as he moved against Keita, looking for his opportunity. _I can't remember the last time I was this tired during a match… it was always near the end, not in the middle…_

Miyagi noticed, out of the corner of his eye, Sakuragi moving in position to set a screen with a sly grin on his face. Miyagi chuckled to himself, then ran forward, dodging around Sakuragi and Mikio and jumping into the air, momentarily free of Keita as he threw in a soft, left handed finger-roll from the side.

"Great, Ryota!" Ayako shouted from the benches, trying to keep his spirits up. Miyagi adjusted his wristbands a bit as he went back downcourt, the wristbands already starting to become wet with sweat.

_It's almost halftime… just a bit longer…_ Miyagi motivated himself as he saw Keita approach. The clock read 1:46. Mitsui watched Miyagi with respect.

_I think I see how he helped bring back that 2-1 record against Josei High this year… he really is starting to become a better player and a better captain…_

Luckily for Miyagi, Keita was taking it a bit slower this time down, trying to guarantee a good shot since Shohoku was beginning to make their move. Rukawa tried to shadow Eiji, preventing him from getting the ball. However, it wasn't as easy for Rukawa as it was for Eiji, because Eiji was much more effective at moving without the ball. Rukawa grudgingly realized that Eiji really was on a different level than he was in terms of offense and athleticism as he tried to keep up with him.

Keita lobbed the ball up high, and Eiji soared into the air, about to finish the alley-oop.

"No!"

Rukawa watched as Sakuragi jumped into the air, ignoring Mikio as he tried to block Eiji. However, Eiji was still able to dunk over Sakuragi, drawing a roar from the crowd as he made Sakuragi's efforts look foolish. The referee blew his whistle.

"Shooting foul, red #10!"

"I'd almost forgotten about you," Eiji said to Sakuragi, dropping down from the rim. "That was my present for you."

"You bastard…" Sakuragi growled as Eiji ignored him, walking to take his free-throw. Sakuragi turned his anger to Rukawa.

"Damnit, fox! Can't you guard him! Do you want me to clean up for you every single time!"

Rukawa didn't say anything, partly because it was true, and partly because he didn't want to say anything out of line again… like using Haruko as a club to attack his teammate.

Sakuragi scoffed at Rukawa's silence, moving into position as Eiji shot his free-throw, which was a make. 50-36.

Miyagi was beginning to space out a bit as Kuwata passed him the ball, wearing down the shot clock. Mitsui yelled at him after a few more seconds of inactivity from the point guard.

"Miyagi! Watch the shot clock! What the hell are you doing!"

Miyagi's eyes focused a bit as he continued to dribble outside the three-point arc. Miyagi passed the ball over to Mitsui, leaving him to take over for the possession. Mitsui went for the more balanced matchup by passing in to Sakuragi. Sakuragi was playing a bit further from the post this time, so he faked slightly against Mikio, who didn't flinch. Sakuragi sighed.

"Meatball, you underestimate me!" Sakuragi shot a jumper, and Mitsui covered his face.

_Shit… he's at a bad angle…_

However, the ball banked in smoothly, and Mitsui's worry turned to pleasant surprise.

"Tensai Bank Shot!" Sakuragi chortled, smiling over at Mitsui. Mitsui returned his smile, nodding with approval.

"That was pretty good!" Mitsui laughed, knowing Sakuragi liked compliments, but Mitsui was also genuinely pleased that Sakuragi had picked up what Mitsui had taught him.

"A bank shot! Wow…" Kiyota rolled his eyes. "That monkey can't even make a normal shot?"

Jin smiled. "Actually, a bank shot has more of a chance of going in if the shooter knows what he's doing. Not a lot of people these days use the glass… I can only assume that someone like Mitsui would have taught him something like that…"

"What an interesting shot," Takamiya said. Youhei nodded.

"Yeah, it's a type of shot Sakuragi would have only made by accident last year," Youhei said jokingly as the Sakuragi Army watched their leader continue to improve his skills.

"Like… the Ultimate Face Shot?" Ookusu remembered. The Sakuragi Army burst into laughter, remembering Sakuragi's antics last year.

"What the heck did you teach that guy?" Miyagi gave Mitsui a tired smile. However, Miyagi's focus was instantly switched back to Keita, who had just crossed the half-court line. Keita wore some more time down, waiting for Sannoh's offense to get into position before passing to Sato. Kuwata was far too short to play effective defense against Sato, and Sato used his size to post up against Kuwata again. Sato shot a hook shot that missed, but Mikio took the offensive rebound.

"Damn!" Sakuragi shouted as Mikio threw the ball back up. The shot missed, and Sakuragi again tried to battle for the rebound as Mikio tipped the ball again. However, it rimmed out again, and this time Sakuragi was successful in taking the rebound away.

"That's mine!" Sakuragi declared, a bit surprised it had taken so much of his energy to get the rebound that time. The Shohoku bench breathed a sigh of relief, as Shohoku managed to get their defensive stop.

Sakuragi watched Mikio barrel downcourt at a lumbering pace. _That fat meatball really knows how to position himself now… that Lamp Pole Head and the Bald Monkey must have taught this meatball some things last year…_

"Hanamichi!" Sakuragi heeded Miyagi's call and passed the ball to him. Miyagi looked at the clock, and saw that there was 0:35 left.

_Last possession for Shohoku for the half,_ Miyagi realized, dribbling slowly as he let the seconds click off. Everyone on the court relaxed for a brief moment, as Miyagi considered his course of action. Rukawa moved slowly, trying to get precious inches away from Eiji's defense. Sakuragi leaned a shoulder against Mikio's huge body, getting ready to set a screen as Mitsui circled around the three-point arc. Kuwata watched them, waiting for his own opportunity as well.

"Go!" Miyagi shouted abruptly as he suddenly blasted forward, racing past Keita, but not by much. Miyagi pulled to a stop and threw a fast behind-the-back pass to Mitsui, then moved around a screen by Sakuragi. Mitsui faked a pass to Miyagi, then threw the ball over to Rukawa. Rukawa shot a fadeaway over Eiji that bounced out, but Sakuragi was there, taking the offensive rebound over Mikio and slamming it home with both hands. The Shohoku bench cheered loudly.

"Great, Sakuragi!"

Miyagi grinned as the scores clicked to 50-40. _Within ten…!_

Keita, however, didn't wait as he took the ball out and inbounded quickly to Eiji. The game clock read 0:05 as Eiji blew past Rukawa, then stopped at the half-court line and heaved the ball towards Sannoh's basket. The ball flew through the air, and just as the buzzer sounded, the ball hit the backboard and went through the net. The crowd exploded.

"Wow! Eiji! He just made a half-court shot!"

The rest of the Shohoku team was too surprised to make any comments. Mitsui shook his head. _Unbelievable…_

Eiji didn't say anything, nor did the rest of the Sannoh team, as they all left the floor, going to the lockers. The halftime score was 53-40.

"…" Rukawa didn't have anything to say as he left the court in disappointment. Miyagi sighed, and the rest of the Shohoku team followed their ace into the lockers.

* * *

Meanwhile, a taxi pulled up outside of the gym. Haruko, Matsui, and Fujii stepped out as another person paid the taxi fee. Haruko looked at her watch. 

"Wow, we're so late! Let's go around back and see if the team are in the lockers for halftime yet." Haruko turned to the other person as the rest of her friends caught up with her.

"Let's go!"

The person pushed up his glasses, and smiled peacefully at Haruko. "Okay, okay, I'm coming."

Haruko smiled excitedly. "They'll be so happy to see you again… Kogure-senpai."


	48. Chapter 47

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews:

WOW. This is it, guys! It's just a few days over the one-year anniversary of this fic.! I'm honored to have gained so many SD fans who appreciate my conclusion to the series, and really, it's been great writing for all of you. Time passes by so fast, but we can now say this fic. is finally one year old!

Laziness Incarnate- Swish! I finally fooled you for once. Took me what, a year? XD

Thanks for the compliments. As usual, you flatter me so much. Thanks for the review, too!

Yoka- Yep, the Eastern Conference had some great games… but now, the San Antonio Spurs are our World Champions for 2005! It feels so weird saying that, because I remember that I was saying the Detroit Pistons were the champions just a year ago in this fic. -.-

Glad to see you liking the spotlight on Hanamichi, I always try to make sure everyone gets some equal time in showing off their skills. Thanks for the review and for sticking with the story!

Yun Fei- Sakuragi does indeed knock some sense into Rukawa by the end of this chapter, as you will see. XD

Thanks for the review!

Karen- Thank you for reading the story and leaving a review!

Iron Duke- Give me your e-mail address, I'll send you the link to the scanlations.

And yep, the NBA finals are already over now… time really flies…

Thanks for the review man.

Addicted to SD- Thanks a lot for the review!

Adjustment- Yeah, I watch the NBA Playoffs. It was a fun watch this year, but then again, all the years weren't too bad when there weren't blowouts in every conference.

Eiji is definitely a huge problem for Shohoku, and we'll have to see if they can really find a solution for him or they're just going to let him run wild. Thanks a lot for the review!

Ryu- Whoa man, pace yourself when you read! ;) But I'm very flattered that you like the story, and thanks for the compliments, I really appreciate it!

Shadowcleaner- Hey, don't worry about it. I know how it is with school. –sigh-

Glad to see you liked the past few chapters, and I hope school doesn't pile up so much on you anymore. Thanks for the review!

Migo- Hey, guess what?

YOU'RE MY 300TH REVIEW.

So do you get confetti? Uh… yeah. And a cookie. Just picture it in your mind or something.

Glad to see you're still liking the fic., and I suppose that you probably aren't happy that San Antonio are now the World Champions. Detroit really fought hard man, but Ginobili really made those difference-makers down the stretch. Oh well, Detroit might still bounce back next year.

Thanks for the review, I appreciate it.

* * *

**Chapter 47 – Peacemaker**

The Shohoku locker room was silent as Ayako and Anzai entered. Sakuragi was standing, breathing heavily and wiping his sweat with a towel as he downed Pocari Sweat. Mitsui and Miyagi sat side by side at the benches, also catching their breath with the towels in their hands. Rukawa was off in the corner, sullen.

Hiroshi, who had been sitting on the bench for a good chunk of the first half, sighed as he took a seat next to Mitsui and Miyagi. Ayako frowned. _They all look so disappointed in themselves… there's no energy in this room…_

"Hey, not bad guys!" Ayako said loudly, trying to get everyone's spirits up. "Ryota, you did a good job with—"

Ayako stopped, as she realized that none of the starters were really paying much attention to her. Ayako gritted her teeth in a rage as she pulled out her fan, and in a flash, nailed everyone with it, including the benchwarmers.

"Ow! What the hell!" Miyagi rubbed his head as a smoking welt appeared.

"What's wrong with you guys! You guys should be happy you're only down 13! From what I saw, you guys were so caught up in your little rivalries to even care what happened with the team!" Ayako's fiery temper was already lit, and she was on a rampage in the Shohoku lockers.

"Down 13? That's not good."

Everyone turned to the new voice. Ayako's rage instantly dissipated, and the other starters stared at the doorway, thunderstruck.

Kogure smiled gently as he leaned against the doorway, with Haruko at his side. "Nice to see you all again."

"Kogure!" Mitsui was astonished, and Miyagi and Mitsui stood from their seat at the bench. Sakuragi raised his hand in greeting, recovering the fastest out of the group.

"Yo, Megane-kun!"

Kogure gave them all a smile, as Haruko broke away to go talk to Rukawa. "It's great to see you all again. Are you all so surprised that I would come and watch you guys play?"

"No… not at all…" Miyagi said, walking over to Kogure. Kogure had hardly changed; still relatively tall and lanky, Kogure still wore his typical glasses and was dressed casually.

Kogure looked down at Miyagi. "How does it feel to be captain, Miyagi?"

Miyagi grinned at Kogure. "Not as easy as I thought it would be."

"Ah. I'm not surprised you would say that," Kogure said. "Akagi would talk to me about the team a lot, and worry about so many of the little things. But you've done very well, leading Shohoku back to the Inter-Highs."

Miyagi's grin faded a bit as he became a bit more serious. "No… I couldn't have done it by myself…"

Kogure clapped Miyagi on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it so much. None of the team could have done it without you either, you know."

"How's college, Kogure?" Mitsui asked. Kogure looked up at Mitsui and smiled.

"Mitsui. It's been a long time."

"…Yes, it has. Almost half a year, now."

"Megane-kun!" Sakuragi broke in to the conversation. "Where's Gori?"

"Akagi is still at the university… that's what Haruko told me, anyway. How is your back, Sakuragi? Does it feel good to be back in basketball?"

"Of course! This Tensai loves basketball!" Sakuragi laughed loudly. Kogure glanced over at Hiroshi.

"Hello. How do you do?"

Ayako smiled inwardly. _As soon as Kogure stepped through, the Shohoku starters all look happy… they're feeling the unity of last year's team…_

Hiroshi stood, and bowed slightly at Kogure. "Nice to meet you. I'm Hiroshi Kazuo."

Kogure looked at Hiroshi's number on his jersey, and a wave of nostalgia passed over his face. "…#5, huh?"

Mitsui nodded at Hiroshi. "Hiroshi, your jersey… used to be Kogure's number."

"Oh…" Hiroshi was at a loss for words, and so he could only say what sprang to his mind. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Kogure gave Hiroshi an odd look. "It feels… easier to look at it than I thought it would."

"Megane-kun, you'll watch this Tensai play, right?" Sakuragi draped his arm around Kogure's neck from behind, not noticing Kogure's shift of discomfort from the sweat still on the redhead.

"Yeah, I'll come watch you guys."

"All right!" Sakuragi smacked Kogure on the back. "We'll take you out for food later!"

"…If we win."

All attention turned back to Miyagi, who was looking grim again. Miyagi nodded at Kogure, a bit apologetic.

"Sorry Kogure, but we should focus on the game right now. I'm more than happy to see you, but if we lose…"

Kogure gave Miyagi a look of understanding. "Of course. I understand."

"Sensei, can you help us?" Miyagi looked over at Anzai, who had not spoken since everyone entered the locker rooms. Anzai's body shook slightly as he laughed.

"Ho ho, of course, Miyagi-kun." The team was ignoring the bit of tension between Miyagi and Anzai as the coach sat down on the bench, the starters and other players gathering around him. Rukawa walked over from the corner with Haruko and listened in as well.

"You all had very good energy when you played today. It was good to see…" Anzai paused, reaching for his clipboard. "…such spirit, even in adversity. Sannoh is strong this year, right?"

The players agreed grudgingly.

"But, they are also weaker than last year's team."

"What?" Miyagi looked at Anzai in confusion. Anzai nodded.

"I do not mean to question any of your abilities, but one-on-one, you were all outmatched in the first half." Anzai paused, and repeated the final phrase. "_In the first half._ That is not to say they completely outmatch you, but they merely… had the advantage in the first twenty minutes."

"Whether it was Mikio's size, Keita's decision-making, Yoshito's shooting, Sato's rebounding, or Eiji's scoring… you were all bested. But that is not to say you cannot come back from it."

Anzai looked down at his clipboard, with the picture of the court and the numbered pieces, representing the players of both teams.

And he pushed all of the pieces off the clipboard.

"This is a new half," Anzai continued, ignoring the looks of surprise from the Shohoku players. "We are only down thirteen. Or rather… think that they have a thirteen point headstart."

Kogure smiled, eavesdropping from the doorway. _Playing to their egos… intelligent as always, Sensei…_

"You may not be able to take all of them one-on-one. But as a team, you have faced stronger opponents before. Four starters from last year are still here. They have but one. Even with the time they had together, I do not think they share the same bonds that you all do."

Anzai reached down, and picked up one piece and placed it back on the clipboard. It was the #9 piece of the opposing team.

Sawakita Eiji.

Anzai settled into a brief silence, looking pensive. "Rukawa-kun, you'll continue to guard him."

"What the hell? That fox can't handle that guy!" Sakuragi was the first to protest. "At least send someone like Hiro to guard him!"

Anzai shook his head, firm in his decision. "Rukawa-kun, you'll guard #9. And Miyagi-kun, I want you to run a few more isolation plays for Rukawa-kun this half. Give Rukawa-kun offensive freedom."

"…Right, Sensei," Miyagi said.

Sakuragi gritted his teeth, trying to resist the urge to explode in frustration over the coach's trust in Rukawa. Anzai noticed it, and clapped Sakuragi on the shoulder.

"Sakuragi-kun, if #9 escapes Rukawa, you are free to switch off and help on defense."

Sakuragi brightened a bit. "Now you're talking, old man!"

Anzai looked back down at the clipboard. "Play them as a team. Sannoh is not focused on that aspect. And Hiroshi, you're going back in for this half. Play carefully."

"Got it, Sensei." Hiroshi stretched out his legs, getting ready to go back in.

The team was silent as they waited for the signal from Ayako, who gave it a few seconds later.

"All right, time's up," Miyagi stood. "Let's get out there and win this!"

"Right!" The Shohoku team agreed. The team walked out, and Kogure held his hand out, slapping everyone's hands. Once the lockers were empty, Haruko smiled at Kogure.

"See? They were very happy to see you."

Kogure smiled back at Akagi's younger sister. "I knew they would be. But what I hope more… is for them to win this, and go deeper into the Inter-Highs than last year." Kogure walked out, with Haruko trailing behind him.

"That's all I really hope for."

* * *

"Hey."

Miyagi drew the other starters around him as soon as they went back onto the court.

"I don't know what Sannoh's coach said during halftime, but I'm sure we're going to have to be on our guard. Got that, guys?"

Everyone nodded. Mitsui was the first to notice Haruko leading Kogure to the Shohoku benches. Kogure raised his hand, and the other starters returned the greeting. Haruko whispered something to Ayako, then dashed back into the corridor to go sit up with the Sakuragi Army and her friends.

The Sannoh team was met with a roar from the crowd as soon as they stepped onto the floor. The Shohoku team didn't even so much as glance at the crowd as Sakuragi went to center court to jump ball.

There was already a difference; Sato was going to jump ball, instead of Mikio.

_They must have realized that there was no way Mikio could jump against Sakuragi,_ Mitsui thought, getting ready for the start of the final half.

The referee took the ball, then coolly threw it into the air. Sakuragi and Sato both leaped into the air, and Sakuragi managed to slap the ball away from Sato. Unfortunately, the ball moved away from the Shohoku team, and Keita took the ball instead.

"Damn!" Sakuragi clapped his hands in frustration as the Shohoku defense set up.

Miyagi took a deep breath, getting ready to defend Keita. Miyagi knew his endurance was being pushed to the limits, but he had no choice; it was time to get tough, or go home.

Keita lobbed the ball up, and Miyagi's eyes widened. _An alley-oop on the first possession!_

"No!" Sakuragi leaped into the air, trying to interrupt the pass. However, he was a second too late, as the ball glazed over his fingertips and Sato caught the pass, slamming the ball in with little effort as the crowd cheered. 55-40.

"My fault!" Hiroshi called out as soon as the scores switched, since Sato was his matchup.

"Let's get back in this!" Miyagi yelled, taking the inbounds from Sakuragi. Miyagi threw the ball to Rukawa, and the rest of the team ran an isolation play, leaving Rukawa to deal with Eiji one-on-one.

"You're still so confident?" Eiji smirked, watching Rukawa closely. Rukawa didn't respond as he quickly lifted into the air, shooting a jumper that had too much power, bouncing off the opposite side of the rim and out. Hiroshi boxed Sato out, and using his length, took the offensive rebound and nonchalantly threw it out to Mitsui.

"Mitsui!" Nori called from the stands as Mitsui drove in against Yoshito, throwing in a graceful finger roll.

Yoshito frowned. "You're still behind me, you kn—"

"Shut it," Mitsui said absently as he went back onto defense, ignoring Yoshito's personalscore-keeping.

"Nice rebound, Hiro!" Sakuragi complimented Hiroshi as the team ran downcourt.

Keita worked the ball in to Sato again, as Miyagi clicked his tongue. _Twice to Sato… maybe they're trying to work on fouling Hiroshi out…_

Hiroshi put a hand in Sato's face, and readied himself for a drive towards the basket. Sato swung the ball low, but Hiroshi kept his eyes focused on Sato's waist, trying to avoid any tricks that Sato might do with the ball. Sato drove right, and Hiroshi instantly was trying to push Sato towards the baseline to make the shot more difficult. Sakuragi noticed what Hiroshi was doing and switched off Mikio to help double-team. Sato was forced to stop his dribble, and was trapped near the baseline as Hiroshi and Sakuragi blocked off his vision.

"Pass it back out!" Keita called. Sato, however, couldn't see where Keita was and accidentally stepped on the baseline.

The whistle instantly blew, as the referee pointed at the spot where Sato had stepped on the baseline. "Out of bounds, white #8! Shohoku ball!"

"Good work, guys!" Mitsui said as Rukawa inbounded the ball to Miyagi. Hiroshi and Sakuragi bumped fists and went back onto offense.

Back in the stands, Haruko had finally found where her friends were sitting.

"Youhei-kun!" Haruko hailed, as Youhei turned around to see the second team manageress.

"Hey, Haruko!" The Sakuragi Army greeted her in unison. Matsui and Fujii waved to their friend as Haruko squeezed past the Sakuragi Army to get a seat next to them.

"Did I just see…" Youhei looked at Haruko questioningly, and Haruko nodded excitedly.

"Yes, Kogure-senpai came!"

Noma stroked his chin. "Maybe that will give Shohoku a bit of a morale boost, right?"

"Hanamichi does seem to be a bit more energetic…" Takamiya agreed.

As if on cue, Miyagi passed in to Sakuragi. Sakuragi posted up on Mikio again, waiting for the opportune moment. As soon as he felt Mikio's pressure on his back lessen a bit, Sakuragi spun so fast that no one on the Sannoh team could stop him as he came from the other side of the rim and threw down a one-handed dunk.

"Whoa! Nice, Sakuragi!" The Shohoku bench cheered loudly as the Shohoku team set up their defense.

Kogure shook his head in disbelief. _Sakuragi really has become a great player… he's doing things I could not have fathomed him doing last year…_

Keita once again gave the ball to Sato, confirming Miyagi's suspicions. This time, though, they ran an isolation play so Sato was going up against Hiroshi one-on-one.

Hiroshi shuffled his feet as he guarded Sato, who had tried to drive in but was forced to pull back a bit. Hiroshi bent low, watching Sato carefully.

Maki watched the matchup with interest. "That #8 for Sannoh seems much more athletic than the Shohoku rookie… how interesting that he still seems to be having trouble with his defense…"

Sendoh narrowed his brow. _Definitely have to keep an eye on that rookie if we play again…_

Sato again tried to force his way in, and Hiroshi instantly met his charge, holding his hands up as Sato pushed off against Hiroshi, going for a fadeaway. Hiroshi jumped into the air right after him, keeping his long arm in Sato's field of vision and forcing a miss for the Sannoh power forward.

"Move it, meatball!" Sakuragi moved past the huge center and leaped into the air, tapping the ball out to Mitsui. Mitsui took the rebound and threw the ball quickly to Miyagi, trying to take advantage of a possible fast-break opportunity.

"Get back on defense!" Yoshito yelled as Miyagi zoomed downcourt, being guarded by Keita. Miyagi faked a behind-the-back pass to Rukawa, then jumped into the air, leaning his body away from Keita as he banked in the layup before tumbling to the floor. 55-46.

"Great job guys, great job!" Kogure clapped his hands as he stood, cheering for his former team. Ayako smiled at Kogure, then stood and joined him.

"Ryota! Nice job!"

Miyagi picked himself off the floor as fast as he could, and managed to get back onto defense to meet Keita. Keita was looking a bit uncertain this time down over his offensive strategy, glancing at Doumoto-sensei.

Miyagi grinned to himself, panting a bit. _So… what are you going to do now? Did you guys just realize that Hiroshi's defense isn't something to be looked down upon? _

Doumoto nodded at Keita, and Keita immediately passed the ball to Eiji outside the three-point arc.

Rukawa pressed up against Eiji, giving him no time to catch and shoot. Eiji put the ball on the floor and burst past Rukawa, moving too fast for Rukawa to catch up. Eiji lifted into the air and again made a long jumper before Sakuragi could rotate over to help, and stopped Shohoku's offensive run.

"Good try, Rukawa!" Miyagi said, although Rukawa still seemed bothered by the last play.

Mitsui handled the ball downcourt this time, waiting for Miyagi and Rukawa to catch up. Mitsui noticed Yoshito guarding him a bit tighter than before, and passed it in to Sakuragi.

Sakuragi was about to post up Mikio again before he noticed Sato coming to double-team him. Sakuragi quickly threw the ball back out to Hiroshi, who was wide-open from the three-point line. Hiroshi shot the three-pointer patiently, but it came up short.

Sakuragi was about to jump before another took the offensive rebound. Sakuragi looked and saw Rukawa, floating in mid-air as Eiji trailed slightly behind him, grab the ball, aim carefully, and bank the shot back in.

"Rukawa!" The Rukawa Brigade shrieked in adoration as Rukawa was instantly guarding Eiji again, not even taking the time to give his typical blank glance to the opposing team.

"Rukawa is really pushing himself… and for good reason…" Yayoi noted from the reporter's table. "No matter how he plays, Rukawa is indispensable to Shohoku's success…"

"A steal!" The crowd watched as Miyagi managed to get his first steal from Keita off the inbounds, then pulling the ball back out and slowing the pace.

"Stop guys! Let's get a good shot!"

As soon as Miyagi finished and saw Keita approaching him, Miyagi shot a quick pass to Hiroshi. Hiroshi dribbled in on Sato, jumped into the air, and shot a pass to a running Rukawa. Rukawa tried to lay the ball up, but Eiji smacked it out of his hands. Rukawa landed and was about to chase the ball down, but another pair of hands took the ball.

Sakuragi shot the mid-range jumper carefully, and the ball splashed through the net. 57-50.

"And Sakuragi is just as important…" Yayoi quickly jotted more things on her clipboard. "Those two second years may determine the outcome of today's game… just…"

Yayoi looked up in realization. "…Just like last year…"

Sakuragi smacked Rukawa. "Stupid fox! Pass the ball out if you're in trouble! Even I know that!"

Rukawa gave Sakuragi a death glare. "Dou ahou, shut up."

Sakuragi shrugged casually. "I don't know, if you can't beat that number 2 in Japan one-on-one, maybe you need to find a different way to attack him."

Rukawa considered Sakuragi's words as the Shohoku defense set up, now within striking distance of the A-ranked Sannoh.


	49. Chapter 48

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Reviews:**

I just got back from vacation, so it's time for me to start working on the story again. Thanks a lot for your guys' patience!

KobeJordan- Thanks for the review man, and yeah… a year just flew by!

Kalyope Medina Burato- Yeah, I know how work is… is that keeping you from writing? It'd be nice to see more stuff from you soon. And thanks a lot for taking the time to review my story, especially since I know you're busy.

Yoka- Yeah, Ginobili went INSANE. Almost all the shots that San Antonio needed, Robert Horry and Ginobili made. It was a fun Finals to watch.

Thanks for your review, Yoka!

Yun Fei- Haha! Haruko has Sakuragi and Rukawa on short leashes. XD Just kidding.

I am indeed having trouble incorporating so many characters into the story, so I've definitely been skimming a bit in terms of Haruko and the rest of the audience watching the players. I'll try to pay more attention to it. And Rukawa listening to Sakuragi? Eh… those two are always yelling at each other anyway.

And as for Mitsui… neh. We'll see if he can do anything soon. XD

Slack D- Thank you for your compliment about my story; although, there are other great SD stories still on, I'm sure. I haven't had time to read a whole lot, but from what I read, there are still some good stuff if you don't mind the OC/yaoi/romance etc. etc. etc. It's okay if you don't mind returning to the SD universe to often, but you hit it dead on—I wanted to write something that was still true to the series, and was correct in terms of basketball information.

I haven't seen other sports mangas, so I'll take your word for how they are. And yes, SD had such rich and developed characters that it was easy to relate; and Sakuragi was a newbie, so he grew along with the readers that didn't understand basketball, either. I think it was a great move on Inoue's part to do that.

I completely agree with Shohoku's bench problem. It's always been a problem for them, and that's why I'm trying to give guys like Yasuda, Kuwata, Kakuta, etc. a bit more of a role in coming off the bench and giving a spark, although not offensive… or at the very least, maintaining tempo. But you're right; Shohoku's bench is almost nonexistent, and I don't know if I'll do anything about it. Because as you said: I don't think it's realistic to give Shohoku any strong players when their starters are so balanced and talented in their own right.

Thanks a lot for your review and your comments, I appreciate it.

Shadowcleaner- Thank you for a kind review, as always. XD

And I hope school treats you better. Ick. How dare they do something like that to you? -.-

Adjustment- Yep, it's time to get serious or lose the game. Thanks for the review!

Migo- Yeah, when Horry started draining those threes and made that left-handed dunk, I was just freaking out cause I knew Detroit was in some deep crap. And lo and behold, Detroit lost. Sigh.

Haha, yeah, I remember I was cheering for the Kings in the… Western Conference Finals, was it? And when Horry made that three after Divac batted it out, it definitely was the turning point for the Lakers. The Kings played horrible in that final Game Seven, but I gotta say, that was a very memorable series. Too bad to see Horry breaking your heart so much. -.-

Thanks for the review man, and yes, you do get that cookie.

Iron Duke- I don't have MSN, so yeah. Sorry. Although I'll get it someday probably, since some of my relatives use it and I want to chat with them.

The last chapter was indeed a tad rushed, especially near the end cause I was sort of out of juice for that chapter and I wanted to move on to these upcoming ones. Thanks for the review man.

Lonehamster- Stop it. You're making me blush. XD

Yeah, Rukawa was always sort of… invincible during the manga. I mean, yeah, he had bad moments, and he isn't a great three-point shooter, but you're right; he never really struggled until the Sannoh game. Thanks for saying I'm humanizing him more, because it's what I'm trying to do: develop the characters, such as Miyagi and Rukawa, and develop the relationships as well. I appreciate you articulating your thoughts and the stuff I've been doing so well.

You counted the points Sakuragi made? Wow, I'm not worthy. XD And I really, really, am honored to hear that Sakuragi is maturing but still is… well, the Sakuragi you recognize him as in the manga. I've said it before: I'm trying to stay true to the series while still adding my own touches, so when people say that I'm doing it right, it's a huge morale boost. I know I won't be able to write this story forever, so to hear that people are interested, and what's more, think I'm making it a worthy sequel, it makes me very happy.

Actually… I sort of forgot to include a Haruko/Sakuragi moment in the locker. And I had an idea for it too. -.- Oh well, haha. But yes, I'll definitely be working on the love triangle more in later chapters. And you got it right—Kogure was a model for Hiroshi when I first started writing about him.

Thanks a lot for such a long and detailed review, I'm grateful to have so many fans and I'm happy you can appreciate the story for what it is.

Insomniac- Wow, take a break! You didn't have to read everything in one sitting. XD But thank you for your comments, and get some sleep!

Emberlion- BUM BAM BUM BAM… it's Emberlion! XD

I see what you mean about Rukawa, and I apologize for making his sudden loss of ability so… sudden. But yeah, I'm sure you understand why I did it, though.

Ouch. When does school stop? -.- We want more stories! Thanks for the review, by the way. XD

LackykaDz- Thanks for so many reviews on so many of my chapters. O.o It was flattering, to say the least.

Glad to see I have more readers, and I'm glad to see you like the story.

* * *

**Chapter 48 – Epiphany**

"Watch it! Hiroshi!"

Hiroshi turned his head in time to see that Yoshito had gotten past Mitsui, who was a step behind Sannoh's captain. Hiroshi moved over to switch off Sato and guard Yoshito, but Yoshito made a deft bounce pass to the now-open Sato, who rose up and easily laid the ball in under the hoop.

"Damn!" Mitsui swore. Mitsui turned to Hiroshi.

"Sorry about that, I was a bit slow guarding him."

"No problem," Hiroshi said briskly, taking the ball from Miyagi. As soon as he touched the ball, Hiroshi saw Rukawa already on the other side of the court, motioning for a pass.

_Rukawa sure moved fast to offense this time…_ Hiroshi thought, handing the ball back off to Miyagi. Miyagi followed Hiroshi's gaze before taking off, pushing the ball hard to try and shake off Keita.

"Rukawa!" Miyagi yelled, shooting a fast behind-the-back bounce pass to Rukawa as soon as he dribbled into the paint. Rukawa took the ball carefully, looking down towards Eiji.

_Even that dou ahou thinks I'm not playing well…_ Rukawa thought darkly. Rukawa's anger suddenly turned to slight depression.

_First Sendoh… now Eiji… what is this…?_

Rukawa drove to the basket, then made a crossover as he cleared space with his left hand before shooting the jumper just as Sato rotated over to help. _What is this? This lack of power…_

Eiji stumbled a bit forward from Rukawa's arm pushing him a bit. The whistle blew just as the ball swished through the net. The Shohoku bench was just about to jump and celebrate before the referee pointed at Rukawa.

"Red #11! Offensive foul! No pushing off the defensive player! Sannoh ball!"

"That guy's getting desperate…" Sendoh muttered, resting his chin on his arm as the crowd around him cheered. "Come on… is that all you have?"

"Hey, it's okay Rukawa," Miyagi consoled, but was interrupted as Keita sped downcourt, whipping a pass over to Yoshito as soon as Miyagi approached him.

Yoshito passed the ball down low to Mikio. Sakuragi held the mammoth center back just barely, and as Mitsui went over to help double-team, Mikio threw the ball back out to Yoshito. Yoshito had almost a full second to set his feet and shoot, and his three-pointer went cleanly through the net. 62-50.

"Damnit!" Mitsui and Sakuragi yelled in unison. Hiroshi inbounded the ball to Miyagi without a word, and Miyagi held his hand up, motioning for another isolation play for Rukawa.

"It's okay guys! Just hang in there!" Kogure called from the benches. The rest of the Shohoku bench watched nervously as Miyagi drove into the basket, then jerked his hand to the side as he made a no-look pass to Rukawa before he got into Mikio's area.

Rukawa took the pass comfortably, but Eiji reached in, almost poking the ball free. Rukawa glared at Eiji, then again drove for the basket, using all his leg power to try and lose Eiji. In the back of his mind, Sendoh's words when they played against each other one-on-one suddenly resurfaced:

**"_But during a real game, are you really unstoppable…? I don't think so."_**

Rukawa stopped, then jumped into the air, holding the ball in his hands as he prepared to shoot the fadeaway over Eiji.

**"_One-on-one is nothing more than one of the many offensive techniques. Before you truly understand that…"_**

Rukawa shot the ball, barely above the outreached hand of Eiji.

**"…I don't think I will lose to you."**

The ball hit the front of the rim, and Sakuragi couldn't get the offensive rebound as Sato took it from the weak side. Miyagi raced in, trying to get a steal but Sato accidentally swung his elbow up, hitting Miyagi in the jaw.

"Ryota!" Ayako called in worry as Miyagi's head jerked back, his feet moving backwards to keep his balance. Miyagi stifled a cry of pain as he knelt down, cradling his jaw. The Sannoh team looked at each other, then at the referees in slight confusion. Realizing that the referee wasn't going to blow an offensive foul, Keita took the ball and raced downcourt.

"What the hell is this!" Sakuragi screamed. The referee quickly pointed at Sakuragi and blew the whistle.

"Technical foul, red #10!"

Hiroshi was instantly dragging Sakuragi away before he could get thrown out as Mitsui hovered over Miyagi, checking if he was okay. Rukawa also approached Shohoku's captain, who looked dazed.

"What just happened?" Haruko looked at the court in worry.

"I think… Miyagi got hurt… although I don't know what a technical foul means…" Youhei said anxiously, brow furrowed.

_Dr. T: A technical foul is when a player does something unsportsmanlike, such as yelling at the referees, hanging on the rim after a dunk to taunt other players, etc. The opposing team is given one free throw and possession of the ball, and the technical foul called on the person also serves as a personal foul. Two technical fouls in the NBA results in the player being tossed from the game. Some referees are more strict in calling technical fouls, and it depends on the game situation._

"Sakuragi really got worked up," Maki said. "I don't think the referees did that to favor the home team, they genuinely missed the call and just didn't see Sato hit Miyagi."

"Stupid monkey! Maybe he should get thrown out!" Kiyota replied, hardly fazed by the turn of events.

Miyagi worked his jaw a bit. "I'm okay, I think."

_Or not…_ Miyagi thought privately as the taste of blood suddenly filled his mouth. Miyagi realized he had bit the tip of his tongue slightly; not enough to really do too much damage but enough to have cut it and draw blood.

Mitsui looked at Miyagi with concern. "Don't charge in to where the big guys are, man. Are you sure you can keep going?"

Miyagi nodded as Rukawa and Mitsui helped Miyagi to his feet again. Keita went over to shoot the technical shot, and made it without problem. 63-50.

_Double-digits again…_ Kogure thought from the benches. _Rukawa… I'm sure you can feel it too… if things don't turn soon, it'll be too late…_

Sato took the ball out, and passed in to Keita as the Sannoh offense set up again. Sakuragi muttered under his breath as Keita passed over to Yoshito.

"Stupid fox… stupid referees…" Sakuragi pressed against Mikio, his emotions hardly cooling. "Trying to stop this Tensai…"

Yoshito got past Mitsui again and started to race in towards the hoop, and just as he lifted into the air, Sakuragi caught his movement from the corner of his eye. Moving from the weak-side, Sakuragi instinctively rotated off Mikio, leaping into the air and swatting the layup attempt out towards half-court.

"Nice! Sakuragi!" Kogure and the Shohoku bench cheered as Miyagi was the first to the ball, not stopping as he completed the fast break opportunity with an easy layup.

"Let's go! We're still close!" Miyagi barked as the Shohoku defense spread out again. "Get some defensive stops!"

Miyagi closed his eyes for a brief second as he suddenly felt light-headed, opening them again as soon as he heard Keita approach. Miyagi shook it off and pressed up to Keita, guarding him as tightly as possible. However, Keita still managed to dribble his way out and throw a pass in to Mikio. Mikio leaned heavily against Sakuragi, using up most of the redhead's strength as he backed against Sakuragi before turning and shooting the close shot. 65-52, 15:22 remaining.

"Fat meatball…" Sakuragi growled, his resolve stiffening. Mikio turned and recoiled slightly at Sakuragi's expression, as his eyes were burning with dark rage. "That was your last shot of this game. Mark this Tensai's words."

Mikio smiled gently. "Erm… okay."

Miyagi sighed as Hiroshi handed the ball off to him. Miyagi held his hand up, once again calling a play for Rukawa. _Rukawa… we still have trust in you… after all…_

Miyagi bounced the ball, safely completing the pass as Rukawa caught it. _…You're our ace!_

Rukawa posted up on Eiji this time, but found that Eiji had stupendous leg strength and was able to hold Rukawa back. Rukawa tried to use his athleticism, backing off a bit then trying to drive past but Eiji stayed close enough to force Rukawa to pull back again.

"Rukawa…" The Rukawa Brigade sobbed sadly as Rukawa unleashed his arsenal of offensive tactics, but to no avail against Eiji. A thought suddenly occurred to Rukawa, as he drove in again, and once he felt he was ample distance from the basket, Rukawa shot the ball underhanded, the ball reaching over Mikio and Eiji's outstretched hands and swishing neatly through the net. Kogure chuckled from the benches as the scores clicked to 65-54.

_I remember that… using Eiji's special shot that he had planned to use in America, huh? You copied it last year, too…_

Eiji scowled, and motioned for the ball once Keita had passed midcourt. Keita readily gave the ball up to Sannoh's returning ace, and before Shohoku could even notice, Eiji had gotten a step ahead of Rukawa and was racing for the basket. Eiji plowed right into Sakuragi, and as the whistle blew, Eiji concentrated and lobbed the ball up, swishing it through the net.

"Blocking foul, red #10! Basket counts!"

Eiji glanced at Rukawa passively as the crowd cheered. "That's how you actually do it."

Sakuragi growled, walking up to Eiji. "You! Number two in Japan! If you're so great, play me one-on-one instead of playing that fox!"

Eiji brushed past Sakuragi, ignoring him. Sakuragi turned, getting even more enraged.

"Hey! Are you scared? Why are you—"

"Shh, Sakuragi," Mitsui hushed the redhead, putting a hand on Sakuragi's shoulder.

Kogure looked at Ayako questioningly. "How many fouls does Sakuragi have?"

Ayako bit her lip in worry, looking at her stats sheet. "Sakuragi has four, andHiroshi has four..."

Kogure turned his attention back to the game, brow furrowed. _Not good… Sakuragi and Hiroshi are the tallest players on Shohoku… if either one of them were to foul out, we'd have a huge size disadvantage…_

"Hey! Sakuragi! Play carefully!" Kogure called from the benches as Eiji went to take his free-throw. Rukawa stood off to the side, his hands on his hips as he watched Eiji shoot.

"Rukawa! Sakuragi-kun! You guys can do it!" Haruko cheered from the stands. Sakuragi slouched a bit upon hearing her words, while Rukawa seemed to ignore it completely.

_How to stop him…? How?_ Rukawa frowned, his handsome face taut with stress. _It wasn't this bad last year…_

**"_I don't think I'll lose to you."_** Sendoh had said the words with confidence. The confidence that Rukawa always had in every game he's played… until this year. This year, Sendoh had shown an astounding feel to the game that had left Rukawa bewildered in the Ryonan-Shohoku game, and today…

Anzai-sensei watched Rukawa with interest. _Figure it out, Rukawa-kun. I've said it many times before… you're still a level below Sendoh. Can you see why?_

Rukawa watched Eiji shoot the free-throw, and it rimmed in and out. Sakuragi leaped into the air, taking the rebound with both hands and growling at the Sannoh players around him.

Miyagi took the ball and glanced at the scoreboard. 67-54.

"Hiroshi!" Miyagi made a quick pass to the power forward, who was cutting towards the basket. Sato managed to stay with Hiroshi, who quickly faked as he approached the basket and laid the ball off the backboard once Sato got into the air.

"All right!" Miyagi slapped hands with Hiroshi as Shohoku went back onto defense. "Nice job!"

Sannoh's offensive plan had become clear as Keita shoveled another pass to Eiji; mirroring Anzai's plan, they were letting the aces battle it out.

"Stupid fox," Sakuragi muttered as Eiji gave Rukawa a glare. "That number two in Japan is going to beat him again. He'll probably fake first…"

Eiji pump faked, while Rukawa stood still, not falling for it.

"Then he'll pretend to pass to a teammate, even though he hasn't the whole game…"

Eiji faked a pass to Yoshito, while Rukawa didn't even flinch, reading his movements as easily as Sakuragi was.

"Then he'll just blow past that fox, and I'll stop him!"

"You talk to yourself a lot," Mikio noted as Sakuragi watched Eiji suddenly explode forward, with Rukawa trailing him. Eiji reached Sakuragi's area and prepared to shoot the jump shot.

"Out of my way, meatball!" Sakuragi quickly tried to maneuver his way around the huge center, but found he couldn't get to Eiji in time. As Eiji released his shot, another figure blurred forward and smacked the ball out of bounds. The ball glanced off Eiji's hand as the referee blew his whistle.

"Shohoku ball!" The referee instantly called as Hiroshi landed.

"Hiro!" Sakuragi laughed, relieved that Sannoh hasn't scored again. "Good job!"

Hiroshi brushed sweat off his forehead, not really paying attention to Sakuragi's compliments. _That was too close… I almost fouled him…_

Eiji gave Hiroshi a glance, wrote Hiroshi off as getting a lucky block, and went to defend. Hiroshi shook his head as he moved back onto offense._ I still haven't been able to block like Rukawa's father…_

"Okay! Let's get this next one in!" Miyagi told his players as soon as Mitsui had inbounded the ball to him.

Rukawa acted cautious around Eiji, making sure to keep distance so he could get the ball without the fear of a steal. When Miyagi began to look for someone to pass to, Rukawa darted quickly around Hiroshi and Mitsui, using them as screens as he got free for an instant from Eiji.

"Rukawa!" Miyagi threw a one-handed pass over Keita, and Rukawa caught the ball and shot the turnaround jumper. The ball banked off the backboard, but had too much force to it as it hit the rim and came back out.

"Stupid fox! Your shooting sucks!" Sakuragi swallowed the rebound, catching the ball at its peak as the crowd watched Sakuragi show off his jumping skills. However, when he landed, Sato slapped the ball out of his hands.

"Crap!" Sakuragi moved for the ball as it bounced off Mikio's huge rear. Sato got to the ball first, but as soon as he held it up, Hiroshi poked it free from behind Sato. The ball bounced once, twice… and ended up in the hands of a wide-open Mitsui.

"Micchi!" Nori applauded from the stands as Yoshito turned, realizing that he wasn't guarding Mitsui properly. Mitsui focused on the rim and shot the three-pointer, the ball swishing through the net beautifully. 67-59.

"All right!" Kogure called from the benches as Mitsui pumped his fist in the air. _Your shooting is as stunning as always, Mitsui…_

Fujima glanced at his watch, then stood. "I'll be back. I need to make a phone call."

Maki glanced at Fujima. "Are you worrying about Hanagata? Don't. I'm sure he'll come."

Fujima studied Maki for a moment, then sat back down. "You're right. I know Hanagata will try his best to make it."

Sendoh watched Rukawa casually, resting his chin on his palm. _Now… will you be able to figure it out before it's too late? Show us a spectacular dance, because you guys are still in this game…_

Keita passed down to Sato this time, who was being guarded by the wiry Hiroshi. Sato was surprised by Hiroshi's strength as he found he couldn't really post him up effectively, and as soon as Sato was about to do a spin move, Hiroshi slapped the ball out of his hands, easily reading his move.

"Captain!" Hiroshi hit the deck without hesitation, taking the ball and tossing it up towards Miyagi. Miyagi raced downcourt, but he wasn't fast enough to finish the fast break as three Sannoh players had already made it back. Miyagi wisely pulled the ball back out and waited for his other teammates to catch up.

Miyagi saw Rukawa motioning for the ball out of the corner of his eye, and instinctively passed to him. Rukawa gave Eiji an inscrutable look, then glanced at the rim for a brief second.

_My shooting is off today…_ Rukawa thought. _Is it because this guy's defense is that good? Or is there something wrong with me?_

Rukawa put the ball on the floor, and slowly circled around, watching for an opportunity. _I have to understand…_

**"_I don't think I'll lose to you."_**

Rukawa made one final dribble, then raced forward, going chest to chest with Eiji as he drew Mikio and Sato to him. Rukawa jumped into the air, his right arm slightly out to clear a tiny bit of space as his left arm held the ball gently. Kogure watched Rukawa in amazement.

_Going up against three Sannoh players… Rukawa, what are you thinking?_

The ball left Rukawa's hands… and the pass was sent straight to a wide-open Hiroshi.

"Rukawa…" Miyagi muttered in shock as Hiroshi took the ball, jumped into the air, and threw down a one-handed dunk. Rukawa wasn't able to keep his balance and he hit the floor. The scores clicked to 67-61.

Rukawa picked himself up calmly, his eyes narrowed at Eiji.

"You."

Eiji turned to Rukawa, and blinked.

Rukawa was smiling slightly; it was just the slightest twitch at the corners of his mouth, but it was a smile. It was not as obvious as the smile last year against Sannoh, but it was something that Eiji still recognized. Rukawa's face was no longer stressed, and his eyes were both peaceful and fierce.

"I understand."

"What?" Eiji looked at Rukawa as if he'd gone insane. Rukawa's smile faded, and he replied quietly to the returning Sannoh ace:

"_You_ just have to understand one thing: my team is going to win today."


	50. Chapter 49

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Reviews:**

Cal Reflector – Hey man! It's been a while since I heard from you.

Yep, Shohoku is starting to fight back… we'll just have to see if it's enough. Thanks for the review!

Yun Fei- Wow, I think that's the longest review you ever gave me. Thank you. XD

You summed up Rukawa's situation nicely, and yeah, Sakuragi is talented and has a lot of potential in basketball, sometimes so much so he doesn't even recognize it, in my opinion. And yes, Rukawa and Sakuragi are going to have to learn to work together, as does the rest of the team.

Thanks a lot for your comments about my story, I don't deserve it since there are lots of better writers than me—including you. XD So there.

Yoka- Hi! Yes, let's hope Rukawa kicks some butt and learns from his mistakes. Thanks for the review!

Adjustment- All right, I'll try to churn out those chapters whenever I can. Thanks for the review!

LackykaDz- Erm… I update as fast as I can, dear. I can't force the story. XD

And thanks for the review.

* * *

**Chapter 49 – Aces**

Keita gave the ball up to Eiji again, and as soon as Eiji touched the ball a figure loomed over him. Eiji glanced up and saw Rukawa, looking much more relaxed… but also alert, ready for anything.

"**You_ just have to understand one thing: my team is going to win today."_**

_Cocky bastard,_ Eiji snorted. However… he couldn't deny he felt a bit of nervousness at such a bold statement. No one in America or Japan had ever made a statement like that: only this guy, Kanagawa's seed, had ever had the nerve to exclaim that he would have the ability to beat Eiji.

_No… not even in America…_ Eiji thought, putting the ball on the floor.

Eiji had attended a private high school in America, and played competitive basketball whenever he had the chance. Things had been good there; Eiji finally found his niche in life, and he moved from bench warmer, to sixth man, to starter in about a month despite the language barrier. Of course, he had learned enough English to get by, and now he would say he was proficient at it. There weren't too many odd looks at his being a starter in America, although there were racist murmuring around that Eiji ignored. Eiji knew he had to prove himself on the court, and nowhere else.

Competition had always been fierce. Eiji had outstanding athleticism, but it paled to some of the other players on other high school teams. Everything had definitely taken a step up, and American basketball was truly difficult; Eiji had bitterly noted that most American high school teams could probably take on Japanese college teams… and maybe even win.

"Japanese basketball is weak," Eiji muttered acrimoniously to Rukawa. Rukawa seemed hardly fazed at Eiji confiding in him, and instead made a very brief challenge.

"Beat me."

Eiji looked up. "What?"

Rukawa jabbed a hand forward and almost got a steal off Eiji. "Japanese basketball is not weak. If you can beat me…"

Eiji stared at Rukawa, then genuinely smiled for the first time in the whole game. If his father had been here to watch his son smile, he would know what it meant: Eiji felt a challenge worth his time.

"I accept."

Eiji rushed forward as Rukawa guarded him. Rukawa was pushing his body to match that of Eiji's newfound athleticism, and found he was still a step short. As Eiji lifted into the air to shoot, Rukawa quickly moved away, which surprised Eiji enough to shoot the shot a bit unfocused. The ball rimmed out, and the first to the rebound this time was none other than Rukawa.

"Ah! Rukawa! That was mine!" Sakuragi yelled, but Rukawa ignored him.

_If my shot is off, I must do other things…_ Rukawa thought, passing the ball to Miyagi. Miyagi nodded, and motioned for an isolation play for Rukawa. Rukawa moved to the right side of the basket, and took the pass from Miyagi when Miyagi had crossed the half-court line.

Rukawa didn't hestitate this time and quickly spun around Eiji, racing for the basket. As soon as he had enter Mikio's area, he faked and smoothly turned the fake into a no-look pass out towards Mitsui, who was once again open from the three-point corner. Mitsui shot the ball carefully, and the snap of the net made the scores 67-64.

"Nice pass, Rukawa!" Miyagi called. _Rukawa definitely has great court vision…_

Kogure smiled. _We're getting very, very close…_

Keita glanced at Eiji, who made sure to avoid his teammates looks. He knew what they were thinking: Did a player from America just get faked by someone from Japan?

_Looks like we're right back to last year,_ Eiji mused. _Maybe you'll be worth playing, after all…_

Despite what the players may have been thinking, Keita passed the ball to their ace, once again. Eiji didn't hesitate either as he lifted into the air, shooting his explosive jumper… and was promptly blocked by Rukawa.

"Rukawa! Amazing!" Haruko cheered from the benches in delight as Mitsui scooped the loose ball up first. Rukawa shook his hand a bit, as it was already beginning to sting from the sheer force of Eiji's jumper.

Eiji, on the other hand, was confused. _Where did he suddenly get that agility?_

Anzai chuckled to himself at the benches. Ayako and Kogure were smiling happily, as was the rest of the Shohoku bench.

"I knew it…" Kogure grinned. "If Rukawa really sets his mind to something, who knows what his limit is?"

Hiroshi slowly inched away from Sato, watching Rukawa carefully. _That block… he really is a great defensive player, if he puts his mind to it…_

Miyagi threw the ball down into the post, where Sakuragi was waiting. Sakuragi faked against Mikio, then dribbled in a few feet before Mikio forced him to stop. Sakuragi lifted into the air and shot a short jumper that bounced off the rim.

"Damn!" Sakuragi moved to take the offensive rebound, but another Shohoku jersey raced in from the weak side and snatched the ball out of midair. In the blink of an eye, the ball was passed back out and into Rukawa's hands.

Hiroshi landed, not stopping to wait for Sato to catch up from his stealing the offensive rebound as Rukawa threw the ball right back to Hiroshi. Hiroshi, using Sakuragi as a screen, shot an unguarded jump shot of his own and swished it neatly through the basket.

"All right! One more point!" Miyagi yelled at his players, smacking the gym floor with his hands. "Let's get this!"

The crowd was beginning to get antsy, seeing their beloved team once again struggling to close Shohoku out. Doumoto grimaced. _What does it take to beat this team? They were down by so much, and looked to be at their limits… and suddenly they're past that, and playing at a different level…_

Keita, ever playing the role of a sage point guard, passed down to Mikio on Sannoh's possesion.

Maki nodded. _Brilliant move… truly, you are an expert point guard, Keita… trying to pressure Sakuragi with his four fouls to guard the physical Mikio is the wisest choice to make…_

Mikio backed in to Sakuragi, and Sakuragi was forced to play him a little lighter than he would as soon as he saw the referee watching the match-up carefully.

"Dou ahou."

A voice.

Sakuragi glanced at Rukawa from the corner of his eye. Rukawa made a gesture with his hand to the scoreboard as he subtly challenged the redhead. "I don't see four fouls being a challenge for you."

_That punk Rukawa… _Sakuragi thought menacingly._ But he's right… when has foul trouble stopped this Tensai!  
_  
Sakuragi redoubled his force against Mikio, lowering his center of gravity and using his monstrous leg strength to hold back a monstrous center. Mikio stopped, then turned to lay the ball up.

"What'd I say, meatball!" Sakuragi growled as he boxed Mikio out. "You made your last shot of the game a while ago, remember!"

The ball bounced out, and Sakuragi stole the rebound with one hand, swinging it back to his other to get a better grip.

Maki smiled and leaned back into his seat. _But then again… playing against Sakuragi… what is the right move to make against an unpredictable guy like that?_

"Ryo-chin!" Sakuragi looked up and passed to Shohoku's captain. Miyagi gave Sakuragi a thumbs-up with one hand, resulting in a grin of pride from the redhead.

"All right! Come on, Shohoku!" Miyagi called, hoping the fatigue he was feeling wasn't evident in his voice. _Just a couple more minutes… then I can rest…_

Miyagi passed over to Mitsui, who gave Yoshito a sharp look.

"You've been quiet. Feeling some pressure?"

"Shut up. What you did last year won't happen again."

"Really. And what makes you think you can stop us? Especially since I'm ahead of you?"

Yoshito glanced at Mitsui. "What?"

"You're not keeping score anymore? Huh. I think the score is…"

Mitsui stopped in mid-sentence, throwing the ball to Sakuragi. Sakuragi was about to go against Mikio again when he saw Mitsui grin at him, then mouth a single word.

Sakuragi returned Mitsui's grin, then quickly dribbled out of the paint before pausing inside the three-point arc. Mitsui raced by, and plucked the ball from Sakuragi's hands as Sakuragi's screen stopped Yoshito and Mikio momentarily.

Mitsui lifted into the air, and shot another three-pointer that swished through the net brilliantly. 67-69, Shohoku's lead.

Mitsui pointed at himself. "That shot counts as a hundred. I think I just won our little matchup, don't you think?

"Shohoku! Great, great job!" Kogure clapped from the sidelines, cheering the team on. Ayako was giggling in glee, watching Shohoku suddenly fight back with vengence.

"Hanamichi! Doing some useful things for once!" The Sakuragi Army called from the bleachers.

"Micchi! Breathtaking! Beautiful!" Nori was in tears as he swung his flag from behind the other spectators, ignoring the looks he was getting. "Only the Man of Fire can do something like make three three-pointers in a row!"

Doumoto rose from his kneeling spot, and angrily stabbed his hands together as he moved to the scorekeeper's table to request his timeout that was instantly granted. The crowd had a few sparse cheers for some Shohoku supporters, but otherwise the audience was relatively silent.

However, as soon as Shohoku's starters reached the bench, Anzai stopped their celebration immediately.

"It's not over."

Miyagi and the others clamped their mouths shut. Anzai looked at all his players, then chuckled.

"…Although I must say, I am very impressed with your desire to win. Rukawa-kun, do you think you can beat #9 now?"

Rukawa nodded confidentially. "Yes."

"Stupid fox! And you tell me not to be arrogant!" Sakuragi threateningly moved up to Rukawa, but Miyagi grabbed Sakuragi's jersey and pulled him right back.

"Then, Miyagi-kun, continue our plans as before."

"All right, Sensei."

Ayako stepped up to Miyagi, and placed a cool hand against Miyagi's cheek that instantly drew a crimson blush. "Ryota, is your jaw all right? I saw you get hit pretty hard."

Miyagi ignored Sakuragi elbowing Mitsui in the ribs with a smirk as they laughed at his expense. "Don't worry, Aya-chan. I'll manage."

Kogure watched the two with some mild interest, but didn't dwell on it as he nodded at Sakuragi.

"Sakuragi, you sure learned a lot since I was gone."

"Of course! This Tensai will master all of basketball!" Sakuragi then laughed in self-bravado as Rukawa sighed, wiping more sweat from his face. Hiroshi sat apart from the others as he drank Pocari Sweat, thinking his own thoughts.

"Guess it had to happen… Shohoku won't ever take a loss easily with the type of players they have," Takeshi smiled, as the rest of the players in the bleachers relaxed a bit for the timeout. "Although I must admit, Keita is a very good point guard. Even Miyagi is having some trouble, huh?"

Fujima nodded. "Yes, but I think Miyagi should be able to hold his own against Keita. He has done a fair job against him so far, and he's certainly playing with much more experience than last year."

"You're being nice as always, Fujima."

Hanagata smiled kindly as Fujima glanced up at the tall center, who was standing in the aisle. Fujima pointed at his watch, not looking surprised at Hangata's sudden appearance.

"Excuse me? You waltz in here this late and expect to make everything better with one compliment?"

Hanagata pushed up his glasses. "Didn't hurt to try."

Fujima stood, then held out his hand, his mock anger dissolving. "…It's good to see you again, my friend."

"Likewise," Hanagata shook Fujima's hand strongly. The tall bespectacled center of Shoyo seemed a lot more relaxed than his years in high school basketball, and he had gained a fair amount of muscle. Otherwise, his relatively handsome face still remained the same. Once regarded as among the premier centers in Kanagawa with his blend of agility and finesse rather than the brute force of most centers, Hanagata still brought his aura of maturity and calm wherever he went.

Maki, Jin, and Sendoh stood, and Hanagata started. "You're all here?"

Maki nodded in greeting at Hanagata. "Good to see you doing well."

Hanagata shook hands with Jin, Maki, and Sendoh professionally. "Same to all of you."

Sendoh gave Hanagata his trademark carefree smile as Fujima chuckled. "I'm starting to feel old. All the old generation players gathered here to watch you young guys play."

Kiyota, Takeshi, and Takuma laughed at Fujima's words. Sendoh flashed another smile.

"I suppose I'm the bridge between the two generations," Sendoh chuckled. Hanagata nodded at Sendoh.

"I heard Ryonan is doing well from Fujima. Congratulations. Did you win today?"

"Thank you. Yes, we did," Sendoh replied, sitting back down. "It was a good match."

"I see. Although since you are the Genius of Basketball, I wasn't too surprised to hear that you were doing well. You're becoming a legend, you know. I see you in magazines and newspapers all the time."

Sendoh waved it off. "They over exaggerate my skills. I still have a lot to learn."

Maki and Fujima smiled at Sendoh's modesty as well as his genuine attitude. Sendoh truly didn't care about his reputation, as long as he was playing the sport he loved.

Hanagata nodded, as he took a seat of his own. "How is Shohoku doing?"

Fujima motioned to the floor. "See for yourself."

As Fujima said his words, Shohoku and Sannoh took the floor once again. Sannoh looked mildly concerned, but they still had the confidence of former champions. The referee handed the ball off to Sato, who was to inbound the ball.

Miyagi knelt into defensive position as the clock, frozen at 8:12, started up again once the ball was inbounded to Keita.

Miyagi slapped the ball away from Keita, but as soon as Miyagi had gotten his hand on the ball, Keita stole it right back expertly. Keita then threw a lightning-quick pass to Eiji, who immediately shot over Rukawa and drained a three-pointer to give Sannoh the lead again.

Eiji didn't gloat over his shot, as it hadn't been easy under Rukawa's renewed defensive pressure. Mitsui inbounded the ball to Miyagi, and as soon as the Shohoku offense had set up, Miyagi passed over to Rukawa.

Rukawa judged his distance carefully, and as soon as there was an opening in the congestion under the basket, Rukawa drove forward. Rukawa's eyes never deviated from his target as Eiji matched Rukawa's speed before Rukawa jumped into the air, making the reverse layup just barely before stumbling back onto the floor.

Sendoh smiled in appreciation. _Good, you figured it out… if your shooting isn't doing well, you have to start attacking the basket…_

"Those two are really going at it…" Kogure observed as Rukawa watched Eiji the whole trip down the floor. _And for once, they seem to be a bit more evenly matched…_

Never failing to trust their ace, Keita again ran a play for Eiji. Eiji dribbled without thinking, but in a matter of seconds he realized that it wasn't an ideal situation for him to drive. Eiji did anyway, and Rukawa was able to lead him to both Hiroshi and Sakuragi's area. Eiji jumped into the air and shot despite the triple-team, and the ball bounced out of the inner part of the cylinder. Rukawa caught the rebound over Sakuragi, and waved Miyagi off, insisting he would run this possession.

"Shooting under triple teams isn't always smart."

Eiji looked at Rukawa questioningly. Rukawa stared at him blankly.

"You're having trouble against me."

Eiji frowned. "You haven't won yet."

Rukawa cut towards the basket as soon as Eiji finished his sentence, and made a precise bounce pass right into Miyagi's hands as he raced around Sakuragi and made a gentle floater. 70-73.

Doumoto's hand tightened into a fist. _Eiji… we have faith in you…_

Keita was starting to falter under Miyagi's defense, since the whole Shohoku team had already caught on that Keita was planning to pass to Eiji. As a change of pace, Keita faked to Eiji then drove in on his own, catching Shohoku's defense off guard as he paused, shooting a controlled jumper over Miyagi that pushed the scores to 72-73.

"Ryota! Be careful!" Ayako warned from the benches. Miyagi nodded.

_Right… everyone on Sannoh is dangerous… I started to slack off Keita, because he had been distributing the ball so much…_

Miyagi gave the ball up to Mitsui this time, and Mitsui waited for a brief second before throwing the ball over to a streaking Rukawa. Rukawa jumped into the air, about to shoot the jumper as Eiji followed. In mid-air, Rukawa quickly shifted his position and laid the ball off to Hiroshi. Hiroshi shot as soon as he touched the ball, but Sato's reflexes were a bit too quick and he blocked the shot. Yoshito was the first to the ball, and he started to push it upcourt with Keita and Eiji close at his heels.

Mitsui managed to get in front of Yoshito, but Yoshito smoothly passed the ball off to Keita. Keita stopped at the three-point line, and amazingly, shot the ball.

Miyagi watched in shock as he slowed his run to a jog. _A three-pointer during a fast break?  
_  
The ball fell through the air… and swished through the net. 75-73.

"Keita! Nice job!" The crowd cheered as Mitsui took the ball out, an eyebrow raised in amazement as he looked over at Miyagi, who returned the look.

Jin stroked his chin. "Keita has good form when he shoots as well… his shooting is always very calculated and precise…"

Doumoto nodded. _Keita, you are definitely the most stable on this team… that's why you are our point guard…_

Miyagi sighed. _Is there anything that guy can't do?_

Keita's attempt at a steal made Miyagi's attention snap back to the game. Miyagi quickly pulled the ball back and then ran past Keita, his speed still managing to get the better of the other point guard as Miyagi suddenly saw the perfect opportunity. Miyagi lobbed the ball up high, as Rukawa and Miyagi once again tried an alley-oop. However, just like last time, Eiji slapped the ball away, his athleticism far too much to handle.

Sakuragi picked up the loose ball and threw it back out to Hiroshi, who made brief eye contact with Rukawa. Hiroshi lifted into the air and shot the ball lazily, not minding that Sato was guarding him tightly… and as the shot air-balled, Rukawa took the "pass" and slammed it into the basket, catching Eiji and the rest of Sannoh off-guard.

"Whoa! An alley-oop!" The crowd was pleased at seeing more entertaining plays as Fujima, Sendoh, Jin, Kiyota, and Takeshi remembered that play between Hiroshi and Rukawa from the Kainan match just a while back.

Keita inbounded to Eiji, and Eiji gave Rukawa a look of defiance.

"Let's finish this."

Rukawa returned Eiji's look. "I don't think you can."

Eiji smiled again, as the two aces stared each other down. "Oh? If you think you can beat me this easily, you kid yourself."

Eiji then burst into a run, with Rukawa close at his heels.


	51. Chapter 50

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Reviews:**

Oh dear. Well, I've been away for a while, and as my way of saying sorry, I posted two chapters of the fic. today, and likewise, we have officially reached the end of the Sannoh and Shohoku game. Huzzah.

Thanks a lot for sticking with the story, everyone!

Yun Fei-Yan Lan- Yep, Rukawa was provoking Sakuragi to do something. And Sakuragi will shape up soon enough. XD

Great to see you post more SD work, although some of your Gundam SEED stuff was good. Keep it up, and I'm really not that great of a writer. You guys are. XD

I've seen a few episodes of Dear Boys, and it was okay. I haven't seen enough of it to offer a real analysis of what I thought, though.

Yoka- Yeah, I wish Inoue would go back to Slam Dunk. Isn't Buzzer Beater finished, though? I think he's spending most of his time with Vagabond lately, which is also a great manga. And thanks for the compliments, dear.

Adjustment- Hurray, I got praise for fast updating. Too bad I had this long downtime after that. Sorry. XD

Addicted to SD- Thanks, glad to see you liked the last two chapters.

Terra- Wow, really… thanks for the compliments. I'm glad to hear there isn't OOCness, which is definitely something I watch for. I'm also glad to see you like the games, because I'm sure if they were actually drawn out they'd look so much cooler than in words. XD

Thanks for catching that thing about Rukawa, and that's my bad. I'll eventually get to fixing it… I think. O.o But thanks for giving me the heads up, I really appreciate it. Thanks for reading my fic. and the review!

Emberlion- When are you going to get back to writing? XD

Thank you for the compliments. Fangirl comments aren't bad at all, and don't worry… your stories would be more popular if you updated more. XD

Migo- Well, you get to see what happens to Shohoku in these next two chapters. XD

And yeah, Brown going to New York? I was seriously scratching my head over that, considering Isiah Thomas put together a pretty bad team. I'm sure Larry will whip them into shape, but I'm confused why he went to New York over Detroit, especially since I remember during an interview he said he wouldn't leave Detroit for anyone. Oh well.

Horry has killed so many teams, he _does_ deserve to get his jersey retired. I'm sure one of the teams will.

LackykaDz- Thanks for the compliments on the chapter! I appreciate it.

Iron Duke- Vacations rock. Where'd you go?

Thanks for the review too, man. I missed ya.

* * *

**Chapter 50 – Coalesce**

The gym atmosphere was becoming suffocating with tension as Shohoku and Sannoh continued to try and eliminate the other. Yayoi watched in awe, surprised at the intensity of the game.

_Both teams are so into it… _Yayoi thought in wonderment. _When these two teams play, there's always an indescribable atmosphere… _

Yayoi scribbled in her notebook absently, then set her pen aside, not wanting to miss another moment.

Eiji drew the ball back momentarily, astounded by Rukawa's sudden burst of defensive energy. The scores, still deadlocked at 75, continually shifted as the two aces tried to be the one to push their team over the top.

Eiji grinned at Rukawa, dribbling the ball steadily at his side. "You're an unpredictable guy. Here I was thinking you were going to throw in the towel during halftime, after I beat you down in the first half."

Rukawa narrowed his eyes. "Idiot."

Eiji's grin didn't fade as he abruptly drove forward, pushing the ball towards the basket. However, once Rukawa thought he had him trapped, Eiji made a surprise move:

He passed for the first time in the game.

The ball flew towards Yoshito, who caught and shot immediately, making the mid-range jumper over Mitsui before the rest of Shohoku could react.

Rukawa blinked as Eiji pointed at Rukawa. "You're not the only one who knows how to set up his teammates."

_Amazing,_ Kogure thought from the benches. _Both aces are raising their game to another level… even last year, Eiji didn't pass the ball that often…_

"All right! Keep your calm, guys!" Miyagi ordered as he handled the ball upcourt slowly. "We can't win this on our own! Get everyone involved!"

Miyagi, following his own words, shot a pass between Sato and Keita to Hiroshi, who was racing for the basket. Hiroshi caught the ball, and as Sato and Mikio rotated to help, Hiroshi leaped into the air and shoveled the ball to Sakuragi.

"Watch out for their penetration!" Doumoto called, albeit too late as Sakuragi, who was too far under the basket to effectively guard, shot off the glass and banked the shot in.

"Nice job!" Miyagi said to Hiroshi, bumping fists with the power forward. Sakuragi smacked Hiroshi on the back.

"Good pass, Hiro! Trusting this Tensai is always the smartest thing to do!"

Anzai watched carefully as Keita gave the ball to Eiji again without a second thought. Rukawa was on his guard, monitoring possible passing and driving lanes for the Sannoh ace.

_Rukawa, be cautious…_ Anzai thought. _Now that both you and #9 are planning to pass the ball more often, you have to read the fakes with much more care…_

Eiji faked a drive forward, managing to cause Rukawa to shift his weight a bit. As soon as Eiji noticed it, Eiji drove in the opposite direction, using the split-second difference in Rukawa's reaction time to his advantage. Eiji leaped towards the basket, then launched his trademark floater over Sakuragi and Hiroshi and put Sannoh in front, once again.

"Great! Eiji!" The Sannoh crowd sighed in relief, while loud boos were heard from the corner of the gym, originating from the Sakuragi Army and Haruko.

Rukawa brushed sweat from the side of his face. _Really fast…_

Miyagi glanced at the clock, which read 6:49. Miyagi then held his hand up.

"All right guys! Attack plan 1031!"

_1031?_ Sakuragi's ears perked as he quickly moved away from Mikio. _The Tensai attack plan!_

Miyagi bounced the ball under Keita to Mitsui, who threw an entry pass to Sakuragi. Sakuragi caught the ball and pressed against Mikio, again trying to post him up.

"Fat meatball, you and I are on different levels!" Sakuragi spun around the larger center, but in the wrong direction… as he soon found that he was under the basket, with no room to operate.

"Shit! Sakuragi! Wrong way!" Mitsui called as Sakuragi realized he was trapped between the baseline and Mikio sandwiching him from behind. Sakuragi grimaced.

"Damn!" Sakuragi leaned back and shot the ball anyway, and it hit the underside of the rim. Sato boxed Hiroshi out and took the rebound, then passed it to Keita.

"Don't worry, Sakuragi!" Miyagi consoled as he kept his focus on Keita. Keita shot another three-pointer, catching Miyagi off-guard. Fortunately, the ball bounced out, but Eiji snagged the offensive rebound and abruptly bounced it behind him, throwing Rukawa off as Keita took the pass and shot a runner over Sakuragi, giving Sannoh a four point lead, 81-77.

_We have to keep calm,_ Miyagi thought as he brought the ball up. _Seize all opportunities…_

Miyagi was struck with surprise as he noticed Keita back off for this possession, giving Miyagi room to shoot but no chance to drive for the basket. Miyagi paused for a brief moment, then shot the jumper. The ball hit the rim, coming up short. However, the loose ball wound up in the hands of Mitsui, who took the long rebound with ease.

Kogure frowned. _Miyagi, your jumper still isn't that stable…_

"Miyagi!" Mitsui threw the ball right back to the racing Miyagi, but as soon as Miyagi shot another floater, he was distracted by Keita's defense and the ball bounced out of the rim. This time, Rukawa took the offensive rebound as Doumoto instantly stood in a rage.

"What's wrong with you guys! Rebound! Rebound!"

"That's been a problem for them the whole game," Fujima noted from the stands. "Their shooting and overall defense is superb… however, their rebounding flaws are being drawn out by Shohoku."

Rukawa's eyes flashed right, and as Eiji noticed this, Rukawa quickly passed left to Hiroshi. Hiroshi bent low, then flipped up a fadeaway over Sato that had too much force and hit the inner part of the rim and bounced out. Keita used his size over the tired Miyagi and took the defensive rebound, finally stopping Shohoku's opportunities.

"It's not a good sign… when the point guard has to rebound for the team…" Maki added as Fujima nodded assent.

Keita gazed at Miyagi with calm eyes, his demeanor still professional. On the other hand, Miyagi was looking exhausted, and his face revealed the fatigue evident in his slower movements on the offensive and defensive end.

Keita abruptly faked a pass so quickly and so realistically that Miyagi fell for it, leaping after the movement of the ball before Keita sped off in the opposite direction. Miyagi turned to see Keita dash between Hiroshi and Sakuragi, who were both in danger of fouling out. Hiroshi and Sakuragi met eyes for a brief second, then both leaped after Keita, ignoring their fouls. Keita wasn't intimidated, and passed in mid-air down to the open Sato, who made the close shot easily. 83-77.

_No…_ Kogure thought, his guts turning to ice. _Keita and Eiji are taking us apart…_

Mitsui took the ball and inbounded to Rukawa, nodding at him and understanding he wanted the playmaking role. Rukawa dribbled upcourt, thinking of ideas as Eiji shadowed him.

_Which ace will lead his team to victory?_ Yayoi thought, again nibbling on her pinky. _Keita and Eiji are experienced in dealing with pressure situations… can Shohoku turn it around?_

Yayoi's eyes widened with understanding. _Of course they can. They've done it so many times before, haven't they?_

"Move!" Sakuragi dodged around Mikio, trying to get open and away from the large obstruction that was Mikio's body. Rukawa glanced at Sakuragi, then threw the ball to Hiroshi. Hiroshi kept his back turned on Sato, watching the other players dart around for a few moments before throwing a behind the head pass to Miyagi, drawing some gasps from the crowd as Miyagi tried to lay the ball up, but missed the pressured layup. Miyagi's speed had become ineffectual, as his drives were no longer as fast as they usually were and the Sannoh players were able to guard him.

"Damnit!" Miyagi yelled, infuriated he was missing such close shots. Again, Rukawa managed to steal the offensive rebound over Eiji and the other Sannoh players before Keita cleverly poked the ball free from under Rukawa.

"The ball!" Mitsui and Rukawa went for the ball, and at the last second, Rukawa managed to catch it before stepping out of bounds. Rukawa turned and instantly saw an opportunity.

The two met eyes for a brief second, and it was all that was needed. Two intense gazes tore away from each other, a mutual understanding reached. The warriors of the basketball court each felt their bodies move automatically; one raced down the path to the basket, which was open in Sannoh's disarrayed defense, and the other lobbed the ball up from the other side, catching Eiji by surprise.

"What?" Eiji turned in time to see the ball soar towards the basket… and two hands, belonging to a fiery redhead, reached out, seized the pass, and slammed the ball in over Mikio and Sato.

"Hanamichi!" Mitsui and Miyagi looked at Rukawa, then Sakuragi in shock as Sakuragi met eyes with Rukawa again, both breathing hard from the physical play of the game.

Haruko was instantly on her feet, cheering. "Sakuragi-kun! Rukawa! Amazing!"

The Sakuragi Army, as well as Matsui and Fujii, on the other hand, were awestruck. "Did I just see…" Youhei trailed off, eyes wide.

"Yes, you did. Rukawa just passed to Sakuragi," Noma affirmed, as shocked as the others were.

Ookusu was the first to turn his gaze back to the court. "Is Shohoku really that screwed?"

Takamiya answered first, with the thought that was in everyone's minds:

"They must be, if those two are teaming up."

Rukawa's face was professionally blank, not showing any emotion over passing to his rival. Sakuragi, completely against his extroverted and carefree personality, looked as deathly serious as Rukawa. Likewise, Sakuragi did not show any emotion over the pass either.

Ayako took her cap off, astonished. "Rukawa…"

Anzai merely chuckled as Keita threw the ball in to Eiji. Eiji handled the ball upcourt, not surprised the two were teaming up again.

_But this year… things are going to be different,_ Eiji vowed silently. _I won't give you guys a chance at a buzzer-beating win!_

Eiji looked at Rukawa casually, although the situation was anything but casual. The scores were 83-79, Sannoh's lead. The clock was ticking down, with 5:16 remaining. Plenty of time for Shohoku to make a run… or time for Sannoh to shut the game out.

Eiji dashed towards the basket, noting unhappily that Rukawa seemed to have more bounce in his step as he guarded Eiji. Eiji realized that he wouldn't be able to blow past Shohoku's ace as easily as before, not when the Kanagawa's seed was so focused. Eiji quickly made a pass back out to Keita, who had the most advantageous matchup.

Miyagi was barely standing, and Mitsui knew what was going on; after all, he had the exact same experience last year as well, when he was guarded so intensely he almost gave out during the second half of the Sannoh game. Miyagi, who usually had outstanding stamina, was staying on his two feet by sheer willpower alone. His usually quick reaction, decision-making, and overall speed were already a few steps down, and Keita got past the captain of Shohoku with little trouble.

"Switch!" Miyagi called hoarsely, sweat dripping down his face as he turned, still not giving up on the play. Keita ignored his surroundings, his eyes fixated on the basket as he stopped when he saw the red uniforms of Shohoku approaching him. Keita quickly jumped into the air, and leaned back, shooting the fadeaway over the outstretched hands of the Shohoku defenders and making it neatly. 85-79.

"Keita! Way to step up!" The Sannoh bench clapped along with the rest of the crowd as Keita glanced over at Doumoto questioningly. Doumoto nodded in his direction, and Keita made a motion with his hand towards the rest of the Sannoh players. The Sannoh players instantly spread out around the inbounds pass, executing their defense flawlessly.

Kogure immediately knew what was about to happen, and stood in his seat. "Guys! It's a full-court trap!"

"No… way," Miyagi gasped, already at his limits. _I can't break that trap in my current condition…_

Mitsui, Sakuragi, and Rukawa also realized what was happening grimly, as they had all endured the full-court trap of Sannoh last year as well. Hiroshi bit his lip, then heaved the ball high, knowing he couldn't inbound with typical passes where the other Sannoh players had gathered. _Sakuragi and Rukawa… you guys know what to do…_

Rukawa watched the ball's path for a moment, then bounded into the air, outjumping the Sannoh players as he grabbed the dangerous pass. As soon as he landed, the other Sannoh players congregated around him, not giving him room to move around effectively.

Rukawa's eyes widened as he looked for a passing route, and found none. Anzai nodded appreciably.

_Beautiful defensive work…_

Rukawa couldn't put the ball on the floor, and in his own head he was already ticking off the seconds before he'd get hit with the 8-second rule and turn the ball over. Rukawa felt a hand reach for the ball, and instantly held the ball above his head, making sure the Sannoh players wouldn't take it from him. The referee next to Rukawa was already putting the whistle in his mouth before Rukawa gambled, rolling the ball on the floor quickly between a Sannoh player's legs like a bowler rolling the ball down a lane.

The Sannoh players were so struck off-guard by the move that they didn't catch Mitsui behind them, picking the rolling ball up and racing for the basket. Mitsui stopped and threw the ball over to Hiroshi, who was standing at the corner of the three-point line. Hiroshi instantly lifted into the air, his eyes steely and actions fluid as he let fly the open three-pointer. As soon as the ball swished through the net, the Shohoku bench were cheering madly, swinging their towels in Hiroshi's direction. 85-82.

Keita shook his head in disbelief as the crowd became quiet again, save for the cheers from a certain section of the stands. _How can a team become so different from one game to the next? None of the tapes showed them playing like this…_

And across the court, Doumoto was sharing the same thoughts as the Sannoh point guard.

"Hey! Stay calm! We're still in the lead!" Yoshito shouted, trying to assert his role as captain. Eiji nodded in agreement, catching the inbounds pass from Sato.

"Guard this! We can still win!" Miyagi yelled, playing his own role as captain as the Shohoku defense set up.

"Right! Gotta do it for Gori!" Sakuragi bellowed, pressing against the huge frame of Mikio. The Shohoku players instantly quieted, though, when Eiji approached. Rukawa stepped up, crouching into defensive position as he prepared to meet Eiji.

Eiji smiled again, caught up in the game. _It's been a long time, since I've had such a challenge…_

Eiji crouched a bit lower as well, handling the ball a bit quicker. Eiji faked forward, exposing the ball enough for Rukawa to take a swipe at it before pulling it back. Eiji instantly ran forward, getting a step ahead of Rukawa as he charged for the basket. The Shohoku defense instantly collapsed on him, the other players switching off their defensive assignments to prevent Sannoh from scoring. Eiji threw up his self-developed floater over their hands, and the ball arched high into the air… before a hand managed to knick the underside of the ball, throwing it off-course.

Eiji's eyes widened in shock. _What the…!_

Kogure instantly made the connection. "Someone broke through Eiji's trademark shot!"

Ayako nodded in wonder. "And that someone was…"

The ball bounced off the rim, and Sakuragi immediately shot into the air and stole the rebound before the other Sannoh or Shohoku players could get to the ball.

"…Sakuragi Hanamichi!"

"Micchi, take it!" Sakuragi got rid of the ball as soon as he could, as the Shohoku offense quickly moved away to avoid getting caught in another full-court trap.

Eiji reran the play over in his head as the Shohoku players zoomed past him. _How did he see through it? How did that guy even jump high enough to block it? The ball had such a high arch over the basket…_

Maki stared knowledgably at the unfolding developments. _Once again, Sawakita Eiji is being pressured from the mental game involved… Sakuragi's unpredictable presence is enough to throw the other players out of balance. It's a double-edged sword, since he can affect his own teammates negatively as well. But if used in the right way…_

Eiji managed to stay focused as he guarded Rukawa, trying to shake off the slight anxiety in the back of his mind. Rukawa's usually emotionless expression had become one of alertness, his eyes carefully watching the court and seeing if there were any cutters. Finding none, Rukawa slowly dribbled around the top of the key, getting in better position to take the ball in himself.

_This guy thinks it's going to be so damn easy?_ Eiji thought in disgust, his mind devoid of everything but keeping the person in front of him from driving.

Rukawa moved, Eiji followed… and in the next second, Rukawa was free from Eiji, who had bumped into Sakuragi's screen. Rukawa twisted in the air, trying to force contact on Sato as he laid the ball in before tumbling to the floor, glancing at the referee in irritation when no call was made. Despite this, the scores clicked to 85-84, with Shohoku only a point down.

Eiji looked up at Sakuragi, who had a look of smug satisfaction on his face. Sakuragi grinned down at Sannoh's ace as the other players moved down the court, the Shohoku players not showing too much surprise.

"You may be able to beat that fox… but you really _are_ only the number two of Japan! This Tensai will make sure his team wins today!"


	52. Chapter 51

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Chapter 51 – An Apology, A Victory**

Eiji's mind whirled with activity as Sannoh's offense set up, trying their best to maintain their lead.

_How? How can those two still give me so much trouble?_ Eiji's thoughts came to an abrupt halt as he saw an opportunity, darting quickly past Rukawa and cutting towards the basket. Keita saw Eiji and pulled his hand back a bit before launching a long bounce pass between Miyagi and Sakuragi to Eiji. Eiji caught the ball and turned… and just as he was about to shoot under the basket, he found Mitsui guarding him.

_How did he…? _Eiji's eyes flickered back and saw all the Shohoku players had switched defensive assignments so quickly that the disarray caused by Keita's pass had been almost seamlessly covered up.

Mitsui took advantage of Eiji's hesitation and jabbed his hand forward, knocking the ball out of Eiji's grip. The ball soared into the air and Mitsui jumped after it, only to notice that Eiji was also jumping into the air, and Eiji's vertical easily overtook Mitsui. Another hand, however, reached the ball at the same time as Eiji and managed to smack it away.

Eiji watched in confusion and anger as the culprit, Rukawa, landed and took off towards the other side of the court. Miyagi scooped up the loose ball, but Keita was able to easily stay in front of the tired Shohoku captain this time. The crowd had fallen silent, their confidence in the former champion Sannoh team seemingly shaken.

_I can't…_ Miyagi eyes fluttered in fatigue. Dark spots were already starting to form in his vision, and his muscles were all about shot. _Can't keep this up…_

"Miyagi! Hey, Miyagi!"

Miyagi slowly turned his weary gaze to his side, and saw Mitsui looking at him with concern. "You okay? Pass the ball before you turn it over!"

Miyagi forced a small smile to show he could still play, then threw the ball high over Keita, catching Mitsui and Keita off-guard.

"What the… hey!" Mitsui ran forward, then jumped into the air and caught the pass before Yoshito could steal it. Mitsui looked at Miyagi with wide eyes.

"What the hell was that!"

Miyagi waved his hand in annoyance towards Mitsui, not bothering replying as Keita looked at Miyagi with amusement.

"Dumbass," Mitsui muttered under his breath, then turned his attention back to Yoshito.

_Miyagi's worn out… his effectiveness in this game is just about gone…_

Mitsui made a snap decision and threw a fast pass to Rukawa, who expectantly took the ball. Rukawa spun past Eiji, racing for the baseline as Eiji stayed close to the other player. Rukawa paused, dribbled behind his back, and faked the shot. Eiji fell for it and jumped into the air while Rukawa stayed put, throwing a pass under Eiji to Sakuragi.

"Go, Hanamichi!" The Sakuragi Army cheered as Sakuragi spun from one side of the basket to the other, then throwing up a reverse layup to avoid having to face Mikio directly. 85-86, 2:11 remaining.

"Those guys are so great!" Haruko gushed, clapping her hands together. Sakuragi and Rukawa avoided each other's gazes as they ran back onto defense, almost embarrassed at their own teamwork.

_I won't be doing this every game, dou ahou,_ Rukawa thought to himself as Keita handled the ball upcourt.

_Bastard fox… does he think I need his passes?_ _I can beat these losers on my own! _Sakuragi thought from under the basket, bumping into Mikio and trying to force him off the block.

Keita was maintaining focus, now all but ignoring Miyagi, who was just a body on the court. Keita drove forward, and Miyagi was no longer able to keep up as Keita split Shohoku's defense, taking the ball in deep before throwing a pass back out to Yoshito. Yoshito shot the jumper quickly, but it had too much force and bounced off the inner part of the rim. Rukawa jumped into the air, taking the rebound over Eiji before driving hard in the other direction, the other Shohoku players also moving as quickly as possible to avoid another potential full court trap from Sannoh.

Doumoto clenched his fist tightly. _What the hell is happening here? We were playing wonderfully at the beginning… but now Shohoku looks like they can almost play at our level…_

Rukawa slowed his dribble as soon as he crossed the half-court line, calmly taking seconds off the clock. Eiji was relentless in his defense against Rukawa though, already knowing that the Shohoku ace was trying to put pressure on Sannoh. Rukawa's ball handling, however, was deft enough to avoid Eiji's reaching. Rukawa abruptly shot a skip pass to Hiroshi, who bent low to get the ball. Hiroshi then casually threw a sideways pass out to Mitsui, his peripheral vision picking up Yoshito sneaking in for a double-team. Mitsui's smooth, silky mid-range jumper pushed Shohoku up even further to 85-88.

Rukawa stared at Eiji blankly. "Well, well. Looks like we're winning."

"You haven't beaten me yet!" Eiji pouted stubbornly, motioning for the ball from Keita.

And for the first time in the game, a flicker of doubt flitted across Keita's face, as he hesitated to give Eiji the ball.

Takeshi nodded with understanding. "I see…"

"Hm?" Fujima looked at the younger point guard questionably.

"That ace player for Sannoh may not know it, but he's causing the chemistry problem for Sannoh. He was just put in as a starter for this game, right?"

"Yes," Maki affirmed for Takeshi, already knowing what Takeshi was about to say.

"The other four players have been playing together for the whole season. For that other guy to just suddenly come back, and take out one of the previous starters… and to want the ball so much for the whole game… it's no surprise that Sannoh's point guard is starting to question whether it's the best move to pass to him."

Takeshi glanced at Maki and Jin. "Even if that guy can put up the points, he's holding back the team. Am I right?"

Maki nodded in agreement, while Jin's face revealed his surprise. _Takeshi caught on to something that even I didn't see… yet Maki already knew it too…_

Jin felt a mix of sorrow and joy. _Guess I'm not a good enough player to have seen it… but Takeshi will really help Kainan next year. Maki, you were definitely right in letting him take over the role of point guard for you._

Keita bit his lip, and apparently against his better judgment, gave the ball up to Eiji. No one else on the court noticed Keita's discomfort except for Doumoto, who didn't quite understand Keita's anxiety.

Eiji gave Rukawa a glare. "You haven't beaten me yet," Eiji repeated. "I was in America for a year. I was a starter there. No matter what you achieve in Japan, it won't be as good as what I achieve in America."

Eiji put the ball on the floor, then dribbled the ball carefully. Eiji suddenly faked a crossover so impeccably, so flawlessly, that every single player on the court fell for it before Eiji was charging for the basket.

In that instant, it was undeniable who was the best one-on-one player on the court that day.

Eiji soared into the air, tossing in his trademark floater over the players gathered in the paint. Rukawa stared at Eiji in shock, as if he couldn't believe the ease Eiji had shaken him off with… or the beauty of the faked crossover.

Hanagata closed his eyes. _That was truly… perfect…_

"Quick!" Hiroshi took the ball out, barely stepping out before heaving the ball far away from the full-court trap. Anzai nodded appreciably from the benches, glad to see Hiroshi's near-instantaneous decision making.

Sakuragi raced after the bouncing ball, catching it before looking at the situation. Only two Sannoh players had made it back to Shohoku's side of the court. Sakuragi couldn't help but grin.

"Beating that fox is nothing! This Tensai will take on more than just one!"

Kogure's eyes widened from the benches. "He wouldn't…"

Ayako sighed. "He's going to."

Mitsui was racing back, but knew he wouldn't make it in time to stop Sakuragi. "Sakuragi, you idiot! Don't do something that stupid!"

Sakuragi ignored them and dribbled towards the basket against Sato and Yoshito. Sakuragi tried a crossover of his own, but due to his size, his crossover was nowhere near as fast as a guard or forward and was easily readable. Yoshito slapped the ball away, and as he was about to turn and get the loose ball, another set of hands reached the ball first and took it.

The Sannoh players weren't ready for Miyagi, who caught the ball and dashed towards the basket, not as fast as he normally was but fast enough to lay the ball up before the other players could get over the shock.

_That guy was barely standing a few seconds ago…_ Keita thought in wonder as Miyagi's knees buckled. Hiroshi immediately noticed it and grabbed Miyagi's tumbling figure before he hit the floor, and held the short point guard up as Miyagi's half-open eyes gazed at the floor blankly. Miyagi smiled tiredly.

"Thanks, Hiro. Did I make it?"

Hiroshi watched Sannoh take the ball out, not giving Miyagi a chance to recover. Hiroshi glanced at Miyagi, holding him up for another second before letting go.

"Yeah," Hiroshi confirmed shortly before racing off to defense, unable to take the time to check on the captain. Miyagi wobbled a bit, gasping for air as he jogged in the direction Hiroshi went. Ayako placed her face in her hands, feeling a bit short of breath herself as she worried about both Miyagi and the team. A warm, comforting hand laid on her shoulder and Ayako glanced up at the kind face of Kogure.

"Hey. Don't worry about him. Miyagi is tough as anyone can get… he won't give up until that last buzzer rings."

Ayako sighed, remembering Miyagi during the Josei High practice sessions. "It's because he's so stubborn about winning that I'm worried."

Kiyota blinked in amazement from the stands, seeing the effect the game was having on Miyagi and the other players. "Shohoku really is going to be messed up after this. Getting Sannoh in their first round is the worst thing that could happen to them!"

"…No."

The other players all glanced at Sendoh, whose usual carefree smile was gone and replaced with a look of seriousness that he carried when he was on the court.

"Shohoku is lucky to have Sannoh play them in the first round. If they hadn't met them in the first round, there are many things that would not have happened."

Sendoh paused, then continued as Shohoku's defense intensified, trying to maintain their own lead. "If the teams hadn't met, the cold guy would not have rediscovered his passing ability. Sakuragi would not have gained experience being an actual post-up player and making smarter decisions. The rookie would not be asserting his offensive presence and playing the best game he's had so far on Shohoku. Mitsui would not have regained his confidence in himself after that injury against Kainan, and Miyagi would not have been able to carry the team on his shoulders and find his role as captain. All of them have reached their ordinary limits and gone above and beyond that, and are finally developing the chemistry they need to work as a team."

Sendoh leaned back in his seat, resting his chin on his palm. "This is my first time in the Inter-Highs, but I know that a team has to be at its best every single day to win here. They should thank them. If Shohoku wins this, they'll at the very least be playing with the most teamwork and poise they've had this year."

Hanagata shook his head in disbelief. "You're as intelligent as always, Sendoh."

Kiyota scratched his mane of hair. "So, Shohoku actually needed this game?"

Jin chuckled. "Right, Kiyota. Sendoh summed it up perfectly, I'd say."

"Guard your man!" Mitsui shouted, trying to orchestrate the team. As vice-captain andthe former captain on his middle school team, Mitsui could step in for Miyagi when needed. "Sakuragi, move to your right! You're leaving too much space for cutters!"

Sakuragi obediently followed orders, moving closer to the lane and acting as an obstruction for potential drives. Keita's eyes shifted to the clock, and found there was only 1:02 remaining. Keita's gaze turned back to the court, and stepping forward, shot a pass to Yoshito.

"Looks like your captain is too tired to give orders," Yoshito smirked, swinging the ball low. Mitsui raised an eyebrow.

"That's strange. You're still full of energy, yet you haven't done anything for your team. It's been that point guard for the whole game."

Yoshito winced, the smirk gone as Mitsui had struck a nerve. Yoshito didn't reply as he bounced a pass down low to Mikio.

"You still have some tricks, meatball?" Sakuragi mocked, already forgetting his foolish charge against the two Sannoh players. "Even if you do, I already told you… you won't get any points off me!"

Mikio paused for a moment, then made a spin move. Despite the sluggish turn, his huge mass completely blocked Sakuragi off from reaching in from behind to knock the ball free. Sakuragi was forced to simply try and hold him back, and Mikio slowly turned to throw up a one handed shot. Sakuragi turned, boxing out Mikio as the ball bounced off the rim.

_Damn… it's bouncing away!_ Sakuragi noticed, seeing the ball hit the right edge of the rim. Fortunately, Hiroshi rocketed in from the other side and grabbed the rebound with both hands before Sato could get to the ball first.

Kogure smiled sadly. _Hiroshi is definitely far more talented than I was… I'm proud that he's wearing my old number…_

Hiroshi bounced the ball to Rukawa, and the whole team, except for Miyagi, took off sprinting for the other side of the court. Rukawa once again showed his adroit ball handling, making it past three of the Sannoh players before they could trap him in the backcourt.

Again, Rukawa slowed down the pace once he had safely made it across half-court. Eiji narrowed his eyes angrily.

"What's wrong? Have you given up? Have I already beaten you?"

Rukawa stared at Eiji blankly. "Beaten me?"

"Yeah. No matter what you do, you won't get more points than me this game. I've trampled you so many times one-on-one that our difference in skill is evident to everyone."

Rukawa's blank stare turned into slight amusement. "You've gotten better, but you haven't gotten smarter in America."

Eiji felt his face tense a bit in anger. "What'd you say?"

"You can say what you want after the game, and brag like a fool. But the number one player is the one who can lead his team to victory… and you just aren't the number one player in Japan anymore."

Rukawa dashed forward, ignoring his aching muscles and trying to loose Eiji. Rukawa abruptly stopped, and Eiji stopped a second later. However, in that second, Rukawa had thrown a behind-the-back pass straight to Sakuragi.

Eiji grimaced, turning to double-team Sakuragi. When Eiji turned, he saw nothing but Sakuragi without the ball, and a grin on his face.

Eiji finally felt dread in his body… something he had not for a long time. Eiji turned and saw Rukawa already lifting into the air, reacting instantly to Sakuragi's pass and shooting the jump shot. The ball swished through the net, and Shohoku now had a five-point lead, 92-87.

"Faked out by those two," Sendoh smiled, shaking his head in disbelief. "First Kainan, and now Sannoh… those two second-years are really pushing their team to be the best." The other players sitting next to Sendoh didn't disagree.

"Rukawa! Kyaa!" The Rukawa Brigade's cheers were now back in full force, overcoming the silence of the audience. Sakuragi pointed at Rukawa, acknowledging the shot. Rukawa nodded, then turned to race back onto defense. Rukawa purposefully ran a bit slower, and soon Sakuragi had caught up to him.

"Dou ahou," Rukawa muttered in a conversational tone.

"Hm?" Sakuragi was caught off-guard; a bit surprised Rukawa was suddenly talking to him. Sakuragi shifted his gaze to his rival.

Rukawa paused, gritting his teeth to force the words out. "What I said earlier. About Haruko. It was…"

Sakuragi blinked in shock, knowing what Rukawa was about to say. However, before Rukawa could say it, Sakuragi instantly smacked Rukawa on the back.

"Idiot fox! Stay focused on the game!" Sakuragi turned his face away from Rukawa, the shock masked and a playful tone in his voice. "No wonder you're so many levels below me! You can't even concentrate on the game!"

Rukawa stared at Sakuragi, and knew the redhead already understood what he was about to say. Rukawa nodded, then turned to face Eiji and Sannoh. Sakuragi ran past him to guard the post, leaving a few words behind.

"Don't worry about it... just beat that guy, fox."

_I don't need someone like you to tell me that,_ Rukawa thought, as Keita handled the ball to the three-point line. Miyagi simply stared at Keita in exhaustion, not even bothering to lift his arms anymore.

Keita gave Miyagi a look of confusion. _I know that it's pointless for him to sub out now, there's only twenty seconds left… but this guy is already way past his physical limits and he's still playing…_

"I…"

Keita's attention was perked, as Miyagi closed his eyes and mumbled, the sweat dripping down his face as if he had read Keita's mind.

"I just have to make it through…"

Keita smiled respectfully, understanding. _You really are… a true point guard…_

Keita burst past Miyagi, leaving the exhausted Shohoku captain behind. _That's why... I can't take it easy on you!_

Keita leaped into the air, shooting a mid-range jump shot that was true and again gave Sannoh a fighting chance. 92-89, 0:15 remaining.

"Keita!" The Sannoh bench roared in approval, still grasping onto hope. Mitsui frowned, as Shohoku was too slow to take the ball out… and found themselves in the deadly full-court trap of Sannoh.

Hiroshi grimaced, taking the ball from the referee and looking around for someone to pass to. Hiroshi bounced a pass to Sakuragi, who was instantly trapped in the corner by Sato and Yoshito.

"Shit… shit!" Sakuragi had a slight height advantage, but it wasn't anything when the two Sannoh players had their arms up. Sakuragi leaped into the air, and threw the pass blindly… right into the hands of Eiji.

"No way…" Kogure whispered, shocked as Eiji moved for the three-point line, planning to tie the game up. Both team's benches stood, watching in expectation as Eiji set his feet, about to shoot. Haruko had part of her face covered in shock in the stands, and the Sakuragi Army were just watching with their mouths open. The star players of Kanagawa in the stands leaned forward in their seats, along with the rest of the audience.

"Guard him!" Sakuragi screamed, racing over futilely. Eiji lifted into the air, his eyes set on the rim and his arm cocked back, preparing to launch the shot.

"...No."

Rukawa soared after Eiji, one hand in his face and the other held high, guarding the three-pointer as best he could. Eiji released the shot, and the ball arched through the air… and bounced off the rim. Eiji's eyes widened, shocked, while Rukawa closed his eyes, the sound of the missed three reaching his ears.

Sato shot into the air and took the offensive rebound, the clock clicking down to 0:06. Sato instantly went back into the air, about to simply put the ball back in before a figure raced in from the side, smacking the ball out of Sato's hands before he could even shoot and toward the out-of-bounds line.

Sato turned, and saw a small figure under him, gasping for air at having to race that fast to steal the ball.

Ryota Miyagi.

Hiroshi dashed for the ball, leaping over the out-of-bounds line and craning his arm out. _Pleasepleasepleaseplease…_

Hiroshi felt his hand reach the underside of the ball, and smiled grimly as he heaved the ball back out… straight to Mitsui.

Mitsui blocked out the sound of Hiroshi slamming onto the floor as he jumped into the air, taking the pass. As soon as he landed, Keita smacked the ball out of Mitsui's hands and into the air. Keita knelt, preparing to jump after the ball before a certain redhead caught the ball in mid-air, then plummeted past them and landed back onto the floor.

The Sannoh players were too scattered to catch up as Sakuragi turned, grinning at the Sannoh bench as the clock finally clicked down to zero. Sakuragi slammed the ball on the floor in joy, and the sound was met with the sound of Miyagi thumping onto the floor in exhaustion. Sakuragi laughed crazily as the Shohoku bench erupted into noise.

"You guys can't beat us! We're Tensais!"

The final buzzer sounded… with Shohoku's victory, 92-89 over the former champions Sannoh.


	53. Chapter 52

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Author's Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Chapter 52 – Amends**

Sendoh was the first to rise to his feet, stretching his cold muscles and yawning loudly. The other Ryonan players followed their captain's lead, preparing to leave. Maki, sensing that Sendoh was on his way out, stood up as well.

"Get some rest," Maki advised, giving Sendoh a quick up-and-down. "I'm sure your first experience in the Nationals must be exhausting."

"No. It's actually fun," Sendoh smiled, completely relaxed. "Besides, that was a good game. I actually hope that we get to play again. In the Finals, maybe."

Maki stuck out a large hand, his act of friendliness drawing a look of surprise from Sendoh. "Good luck."

Sendoh recovered quickly and took Maki's hand in his, the two shaking firmly. "Thank you. Hey, I'll say this much; if I get eliminated, I'll be joining you old guys here in the back."

The others laughed, struck by Sendoh's easygoing demeanor. Only the Ryonan High players remained stoic. Koshino shook his head, disagreeing with his captain as the laughter died down.

"But of course we won't be getting eliminated."

Sendoh let go of Maki's hand and smiled again. However, this one was strained, almost solemn. "I'd like to think that, but basketball is unpredictable."

As the Ryonan players started filing out, Sendoh stepped out into the aisle and followed the rest of his teammates at the rear. Before they could fully exit the gym, Sendoh gave one last sunny smile in the direction of the Kangawa supporters, one that they all saw but didn't physically acknowledge.

"…he's probably the best Kanagawa has to offer now," Fujima said quietly. Maki nodded, still respecting his former rival.

"I won't be surprised if he broke most of the high school records for the Nationals. He already has a triple-double in his very first game. Hardly anyone can boast about something like that."

"Except for you," Jin chuckled, breaking into the conversation. "And you did it again your second year, when I was still a freshman. Remember?"

Maki stared off pensively towards the exits, where Sendoh had been just a few moments earlier.

_If Sendoh had gotten the chance earlier… _

Back on the court, the Shohoku players were celebrating as if they had already gotten first place in the Nationals. The Shohoku bench was in disarray with cheers, high-fives, and hugs.

Mitsui strode over to the prone form of Miyagi. As characteristic of their relationship, Mitsui didn't help Miyagi up but instead nudged him with his foot.

"Hey, get up. I'm tired too, but we have to go."

Miyagi opened one eye. "You gotta be joking. Soak it up a bit, old man."

Mitsui prodding Miyagi again. "There's more matches after us. Other people are going to play, too. If you want rest so badly, captain, then let's go back to the inn."

Miyagi groaned, wanting to reject Mitsui's logic but finding himself unable to. Miyagi reluctantly pushed himself into a sitting position, expression and movements thoroughly exhausted. Knowing that Miyagi's poor condition was not an exaggeration, Mitsui grudgingly helped the short point guard up, looping one of Miyagi's arms over his shoulder and holding him up.

Miyagi looked around, appearing disoriented. Mitsui gave him a questioning look.

"They're gone. Again," Miyagi said quietly, referring to the fact that all the Sannoh players had once again left the courts immediately after the loss.

Mitsui grunted. "Sore losers to the bitter end, those guys."

Miyagi managed a weak chuckle. "I actually wanted to talk to that Keita again. Just to tell him that he gave me one hell of a beatdown. I'd almost forgotten that there are other players are strong as that."

Mitsui rolled his eyes, the two slowly making their way towards the sidelines. "Not something a self proclaimed 'number one point guard' should be saying, you think?"

Miyagi shook his head. "But I also wanted to thank him for being so damn good. Cause now I realize that even though I have a bit of way to go, I can hang with the best of them."

Mitsui dumped Miyagi on one of the nearby benches. Noticing that Ayako was approaching the two, Mitsui decided that this was no longer his place to be. As Mitsui made his way back towards the others on the court, he left only this comment behind:

"Some captain you are. You needed a game like this to make you realize that?"

Miyagi, now lying prone on the bench, turned his head just enough to see Mitsui's form leaving. Miyagi couldn't help but grin, recognizing the compliment hidden in Mitsui's words.

"Some vice-captain you are. Saying that sort of crap when you're not even a point guard."

Meanwhile Sakuragi was busy helping Hiroshi up to his feet, not minding the fact that the two were sopped in sweat.

"Hiro! Being reckless, eh?" Sakuragi patted Hiroshi's back, a cheerful tone in his voice. "I need to help you work on taking crashes. How about practicing some fighting with the Army and me, hm? Next time you dive for a ball, you'll get back up without any problems!"

Hiroshi sweatdropped. "Uh… I'll get back to you on that, Sakuragi-senpai."

"Come on! I'm sure even your stamina will improve, and—"

"Dou ahou."

Sakuragi whirled to see Rukawa sauntering up to the two, the ace's breaths slow and deep as he recovered from the difficult game.

"Stupid fox! I'm not asking _you_to get some of the Army's secret training… even though you need tons of it!"

Rukawa ignored the redhead and instead tilted his head just enough towards Hiroshi, communicating his unspoken question subtly.

Hiroshi hid his surprise upon seeing Rukawa's uncharacteristic display of concern. But after a brief moment of thought, Hiroshi remembered Rukawa helping him out at the end of the Kainan game and shrugged off the disbelief. The Shohoku ace was difficult to understand, but if there was one thing that could be trusted, it would be that he did not mistreat his teammates.

At least, if they weren't named Sakuragi Hanamichi.

"Not a hard spill. I'm good." Hiroshi suddenly remembered something. "Did I really see you two working together out there? You guys don't even pass to each other in practice."

Rukawa frowned, not pleased with the question. Sakuragi was the first to snap back an answer.

"Working together?! No Hiro, you're confused! I was helping the fox learn how to play basketball! You know, that guy hardly knows what he's doing… he needed this Tensai's help or else the number two in Japan would have beaten him!"

With the change in topic, Rukawa now heaved a sigh and held out his hands helplessly.

"Dou ahou. No one needs your help for anything."

"What'd you say?! Damn fox…" Sakuragi moved towards Rukawa threateningly, tugging Hiroshi behind him. Rukawa stared back, not giving any ground as the two rivals faced off against each other, all cooperation forgotten.

"Hey! You guys! Get over here!" Mitsui shouted as he approached the trio, providing Hiroshi enough leverage to try and break up the conflict.

"Mitsui is calling us," Hiroshi urged weakly. Sakuragi glowered at Rukawa for a moment longer before relaxing.

"The fox isn't worth my time, anyway."

Rukawa shrugged and walked ahead of the two, the duo of Sakuragi and Hiroshi joining up with Mitsui. Rukawa and Mitsui exchanged nods of congratulations before brushing past one another, saying no more than that. Mitsui gave Hiroshi a concerned glance upon seeing Sakuragi helping keep the rookie on his feet.

"No serious injuries?"

"No. A bit tired, that's all." Hiroshi made a slight movement with his head towards the worn out form of Miyagi, who was lying completely knocked out on the bench. "Besides, I'm not as far gone as our captain over there."

As the other starters finally joined the others, they finally overheard Ayako doting over the Shohoku captain.

"Ryota. Hey, Ryota," Ayako whispered worriedly. Miyagi's default "love-love" mode was not being activated, and this was deviation was clearly concerning to all that were witnessing it. "Are you going to be all right?"

"Mm." Miyagi, who was still clearly out of sorts, managed to push himself to a sitting position. Upon realizing his crush's proximity to him, instead of becoming nervous, Miyagi instead hardened his gaze just enough to appear focused and in-control.

"Don't worry, Aya-chan. I'm good."

"You better… hey!"

Miyagi rose to his feet, taking a few shaky steps forward and motioning for his teammates to gather around. Ayako followed after him in concern, placing a concerned hand on his shoulder that caused Miyagi to flinch involuntarily.

Miyagi gave Ayako a worn-out look, unable to hide his fatigue any longer. But instead of being chewed out, Ayako offered him a bright, supporting smile, knowing his intentions.

"Great game. Captain."

"Thanks Aya-chan," Miyagi mumbled, too tired to even be embarrassed.

With Shohoku now gathered around him and Anzai nodding approvingly from the corner of his eye, Miyagi took a breath.

"You guys were amazing out there." Miyagi held his hand out towards the starters and bench players. "Thanks. Really… this was a big one. Our first step."

There was a brief pause before the other players mauled Miyagi.

"Hey! Hey! Don't do that!" Ayako was pushed out of the group, despite her best efforts to keep everyone off the exhausted captain. But nearby, Kogure could only chuckle quietly to himself upon seeing the camaraderie he so missed.

Sakuragi pulled Miyagi out of the celebration, having the point guard squarely in a headlock.

"Stupid Ryo-chin, trying to look cool! We're all Tensais! Those guys couldn't have won, no matter what!"

But Miyagi didn't hear his words—he was already asleep. Nevertheless the group continued their celebrations all the way to the lockers, one opponent less in their quest to conquer the nation.

* * *

"You guys booked a room in that hotel a few blocks down?"

Haruko, Matsui, Fujii, Kogure, and the Sakuragi Army all nodded in unison. Ayako, standing with Kogure outside the bus, was thunderstruck, but her surprised look turned to one of happiness.

"That's great. Do you need me to take care of anything?"

"No, we got it settled," Kogure said as the Shohoku players stepped off the bus. Kogure fumbled in his pocket, then pulled out a small slip of paper. "By the way, Ayako, here's the room numbers for our rooms in case you need anything. Haruko wrote it up before we left."

"Okay," Ayako took the slip, but Kogure didn't release it immediately. Ayako looked up at the bespectacled man curiously as Kogure leaned in close, whispering the next few words.

"Haruko also asked me to tell you… she wants Rukawa to give her a call in the hotel, if he's free. She didn't want to bother him unless Rukawa wanted to do something."

Ayako nodded, looking nonchalant as Kogure released his hold. "Sure, Kogure-sempai."

Kogure turned, about to go back on the bus. "See you guys tomorrow at the match, then. Make sure they rest up."

"Of course," Ayako smiled back. Kogure waved, and the doors shut quietly behind him before the bus took off. Ayako glanced down at the slip of paper in her hands, then sighed before she followed the team back in.

By nightfall, of the 59 teams that had entered into the Inter-High competitions, 27 of them had been eliminated... including the legendary Sannoh. The stats sheets for the respective matches were also released, although the more responsible managers and manageresses like Ayako had already recorded them.

**Sannoh Tech.**

Takasuka Keita - 7-9 FG, 1-3 three pointers, 4-4 FT, 8 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, **19 points**

Nakamura Yoshito - 6-9 FG, 3-3 three pointers, 2-2 FT, 2 assists, **17 points**

Sawakita Eiji- 16-23 FG, 2-4 three pointers, 3-4 FT, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block **37 points**

Yamaguchi Sato - 5-8 FG, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks, **10 points**

Kawata Mikio- 3-7 FG, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, **6 points**

**Shohoku High**

Miyagi Ryota - 9-12 FG, 0-1 FT, 1 rebound, 6 assists, 4 steals, **18 points**

Mitsui Hisashi- 7-12 FG, 4-4 three pointers, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, **18 points**

Rukawa Kaede- 8-17 FG, 0-1 FT, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 block, **16 points**

Kazuo Hiroshi - 7-12 FG, 2-3 three pointers, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, **16 points**

Sakuragi Hanamichi- 12-14 FG, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks, **24 points**

Toki Kuwata- 1 assist

* * *

Miyagi stretched, walking out of his room as he stifled a yawn. Closing the door softly behind him, Miyagi quietly strode down the halls of the inn.

_Ouchouch…_ Miyagi mentally endured each aching step, his legs exhausted as well as his body. Despite it all, Miyagi had slept since they had gotten back to the inn and having just awoke and finding it dark outside, couldn't go back to sleep.

_I fell asleep early afternoon, and it's already night_, Miyagi thought unhappily. Miyagi's stomach growled, and Miyagi sighed inwardly.

…_And I haven't eaten since breakfast._ Miyagi reached into his shorts and pulled out his wallet, and finding a fair amount of money, headed towards the exit of the inn.

"Miyagi-kun."

"Whoa!" Miyagi almost leaped into the air in shock, and whirled around to find the stout coach of Shohoku staring back at him. Anzai was sitting on a couch, with papers strewn out in front of him. Miyagi quickly bowed, remembering his manners.

"Good evening, sensei." Miyagi snuck a look at the papers, and saw game plays, rosters of other teams, and stats sheets. Anzai didn't notice the intrusive gaze and merely nodded at the young point guard.

"Good evening, Miyagi-kun. I presume you are hungry? Most of the others left a while ago for dinner."

"Oh." Miyagi sighed disappointedly. "Do you know where, sensei?"

"Sakuragi-kun went with his friends, Ayako went with Haruko and her friends, and the rest of the team went to other assorted places. Rukawa-kun, Hiroshi-kun, Kakuta-kun, and Mitsui-kun are all still here in the hotel."

"I see." _Maybe I can drag Mitsui out for something to eat_, Miyagi thought, turning around. "Thank you, sensei."

Anzai hailed Miyagi before the short point guard could leave. "Miyagi-kun."

"Yes, sensei?" Miyagi spun right back around to face the coach. Anzai looked down at the papers strewn around, avoiding Miyagi's gaze.

"Miyagi-kun, lately you and I seem to be having some… disagreements."

Miyagi swallowed, shifting uncomfortably. This wasn't what he had thought Anzai would want to talk about. "Uh…"

Anzai looked back up, giving Miyagi a firm stare. "However, I do not want this to interfere with the team. Nor do I want this to strain our relationship together. Without trust, we will not go anywhere. Do you remember the Toyotama game?"

Miyagi nodded. Yes, he remembered. The team had gone against the coach's proposed style of play, and enraged the coach so much he had hit one of his players. At the time, Anzai had requested they not pay attention to the commotion, but it was easy to find out what had happened after the game was over. The disunion between the players and their coach had resulted in a Shohoku win, despite Rukawa being hit by Minami, the Ace-Killer.

"I do not want that to happen to Shohoku. These past two years…" Anzai leaned back into the couch; smiling slightly at some faraway memory only he could see. "These two years have been the most challenging, but the most enjoyable years I have had as a coach. More than my university years, even. I have seen the growth of some exceptional players here… players that will really have bright futures."

"You mean Rukawa and Sakuragi?"

Anzai nodded. "Those two will be great for Japanese basketball." Anzai leaned forward again, gazing into Miyagi's eyes.

"However, by exceptional players, I mean all of you. Every one of you I have coached… including you, Miyagi-kun."

Miyagi scoffed. Anzai blinked, adjusting his glasses.

"It's true, Miyagi-kun. I know the pressure of having to follow Akagi's legacy, but you have handled it wonderfully. You are a competent captain and a magnificent point guard. Watching you develop has been a pleasure."

Miyagi crossed his arms across his chest, trying to bring things back to the matter at hand. "Sensei, I had conflicts with you because you don't give us the whole story. You don't lie, but you give us… half-truths."

Anzai nodded. "I apologize, Miyagi-kun. Yet, I am sure you know why I do it."

"I know why. I just don't agree with it."

Anzai sighed, then stood, holding out his hand. "Miyagi-kun. You are a good captain. Akagi argued with me occasionally, as well. However, I do not want our differences to affect the team. I will try to be more open with certain matters with you."

Miyagi glanced at Anzai's hand, then took it, gripping firmly. "All right, sensei. I'll try to keep my temper in check."

"Thank you." Anzai sat back down, and noticed Miyagi looking at the papers again.

"Daiei High won today. We will be facing them tomorrow."

"…I see." Miyagi sighed, feeling exhausted again. Miyagi waved slightly as he headed out. "I'm going to get something to eat with Mitsui or one of the other guys, then I'm going back to sleep, sensei. Good night."

"Good night, Miyagi-kun." Anzai didn't look back up as Miyagi stepped outside into the cool night breeze. The chattering of girls reached his ears in a few brief seconds, and as he looked down the street, he saw the dim form of a group of girls heading his way. Miyagi easily identified one voice—it was the one of his crush, Ayako.

"So are we going to get food, or what?"

Miyagi whirled, heart racing in shock as the taller Mitsui looked down nonchalantly at him, his hair a little unkempt and wet from a shower. Miyagi punched Mitsui to cover up his own distress.

"Damn, you idiot! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Miyagi calmed down quickly enough to suddenly make the connection with what Mitsui just said. "Did you hear…"

"Yeah, I had stepped out of my room to get some fresh air when I heard you and Anzai-sensei talking. Although I don't see how you can get someone to go and eat with you when you don't even knock on their door."

Miyagi couldn't help but grin at Mitsui's blunt comment, a bit embarrassed at his own forgetfulness. Mitsui gave Miyagi an inscrutable look before patting him on the shoulder.

"Hey. I think it was a good move working things out with Anzai-sensei. I just wanted to tell you that."

Miyagi's grin widened. "Thanks, but don't eavesdrop on stuff I talk about next time."

"Uh-huh. Now, are we going to grab some food, or are you going to wait for Ayako and the girls to pass by while we stand here like losers?"

Miyagi laughed weakly, as if he was considering waiting for his crush to walk by. Mitsui shoved Miyagi slightly in the other direction, and the two began to walk away from the inn. After a brief silence, Miyagi's curiosity won the best of him. "Mitsui, did Akagi really argue with Anzai?"

Mitsui didn't bat an eye. "A few times. Akagi just didn't act like a whiny brat like you."

Miyagi gave Mitsui another punch as the two departed into the cover of darkness, heading towards the brighter lights of the downtown area.

Hiroshi stepped out of the shower, brushing his hair with a towel as he looked around the dark room and found Mitsui, his roommate, gone. Aside from the light from the bathroom Hiroshi had just stepped out of and the moonlight, there were no lights on.

_Huh. That's weird._ Hiroshi tossed the towel back in the bathroom, then reached for a shirt lying on his futon. Hiroshi slipped the shirt on as he glanced at the small desk in the corner of the room, suddenly noticing the note scrawled on a piece of paper. Hiroshi walked over to the note, squinting in the dark room as the moon served as his source of light.

"Out."

_Well, he kept it short and sweet,_Hiroshi thought, setting the paper back on the table. Hiroshi shut off the lights in the bathroom, and after a moment's hesitation, grabbed the basketball by his futon and proceeded to leave the room, writing his own short message on the bottom of the note Mitsui had used.

As soon as he shut the door, Hiroshi felt some doubt. _I'm still sort of tired… and we have a game tomorrow… should I be playing basketball right now? And I just showered too… maybe I should just go to sleep._

Hiroshi then remembered the game he had just had a few hours ago. Four fouls, and only one block.

_Just for a while,_ Hiroshi vowed, suddenly inspired by what he thought was a poor defensive effort in the game. Hiroshi started to walk towards the lobby, remembering a street court he had seen when the bus had taken them back to the inn. Unsuspectingly, Hiroshi was about to go to the court Sakuragi had practiced on prior to the Sannoh game last year.

As he turned down the hallway, he suddenly saw a familiar face… a face Hiroshi was definitely not expecting to see. The other person turned, and seemingly recognizing Hiroshi, headed in his direction.

"You're…" Hiroshi gaped, trailing off in his own astonishment. The other person nodded at Hiroshi in greeting.

"Hey. Good game."

"Uh… yeah…" Hiroshi found himself unable to really say anything.

"Do you know where Rukawa Kaede's room is?"

Hiroshi blinked, then realized the other person's intent. "Oh. It's the other direction, third door on the left after you pass the entrance to the hot springs."

"Gotcha. Later."

Hiroshi stood there for a moment, then shook his head in disbelief as he headed in the other direction towards the lobby as the visitor knocked on Rukawa's door. In a brief moment, Rukawa opened the door, the television muted in the background. Rukawa's eyes widened in surprise as Eiji, dressed in a dark blue t-shirt and khakis, leaned against the doorway casually.

"Evening. Mind if we talk?"


	54. Chapter 53

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Reviews:**

Kenjiro Akisama- Hey man! Yeah, it's been a while since I last heard from you. And yeah, I hate it when real life catches up like that. -.- Being busy is never a really good thing.

Thank you for all the compliments. And yes, the Rukawa, Haruko, and Sakuragi love triangle will be fully developed and resolved by the time I end this fic., so don't worry about it. I'm sorry if I've been vague about it. There's been a few hints here and there, I think, but I suppose I haven't made them particularly obvious.

Yeah, I think my writing has improved a bit too. It's sort of like how the manga artists are: their first few chapters have sort of ridged characters, and by the end, their art has fully developed with great detail as they've settled into the universe they've created. I think that it's been happening to me, too.

Thank you for the review, and I'm glad to have heard from you again.

ChibiRulz Yan-Lan- Yeah, when inspiration hits, it's always a good thing. XD

Yes, overall, Hiroshi is the least experienced on the team and so he still has to raise his game and adapt to the Inter High games. We'll just have to wait and see his progress.

Oh, don't worry about your writing. If you want to write a basketball scene, don't ever feel pressured by other people's work; I mean, it's your own writing, and you're writing mostly for yourself, right?

Thanks for the review.

LackykaDz- Yeah, the team has to sort of recuperate considering that there are no breaks between games like before. XD Sucks to be them.

Thanks a lot for the review!

Migo- Yeah man, Sakuragi is going to start dominating the Inter Highs. Probably. XD

Thanks for the review, man.

Cal Reflector- Yep, you hit it right on the button. Good memory there.

Yeah, I agree that Inoue probably planned to do more with those characters, but never got around to doing it. Guess I'll have to clean up after him. XD

Thank you for the review, I appreciate it. It's nice to hear from you.

Iron Duke- I went to Beijing too! Coolness. Hope you had fun there.

And yeah, Sakuragi has really turned up his game.

Adjustment- You shall soon find out. –cue evil laughter-

Thanks for the review too.

Nacroleptic- Ouch. Sucks what I'm doing to your health. I apologize. XD

Thanks for dropping a review.

* * *

**Chapter 53- Deliberation**

The two ace players were silent as Rukawa passed a can of cold green tea in Eiji's direction. Rukawa was leaning against the wall of the inn, while Eiji sat on the only chair in the room. Rukawa's roommate, Yasuda, was out with some of the other players. The soft humming of the muted television was the only sound that accompanied the two.

"I'm going back to America. Tomorrow."

Rukawa simply nodded, not really surprised. Eiji opened the can and took a swig, the light, sweet taste of tea filling his mouth.

"It was a good game today."

"Hn." Rukawa, as usual, was sticking to his stoic mannerisms. Eiji sipped the tea quietly, and the two slipped into another silence that stretched on for minutes, neither one of them particularly chatty people.

"Do you… do you really plan on going to America someday?"

Rukawa nodded, and Eiji sighed, standing up as he set the open can back on the table, half of the tea gone. "It's not easy there."

"I know."

Eiji smiled bitterly, then gave Rukawa a hard glare, once again looking as arrogant as he had when the two had first started playing that morning. "If you were expecting me to say you beat me today, you won't get anything like that. And you definitely aren't the number one player in Japan."

Rukawa shrugged, seemingly not bothered by the other player's stubbornness. Rukawa wasn't about to deny that Eiji had beaten him one-on-one… but as a complete, balanced player, it was obvious who had been the better of the two.

At least, that's what Rukawa thought.

Eiji turned, preparing to leave. However, as if purposefully avoiding Rukawa's gaze, Eiji glanced at the doorway with some form of acceptance in his eyes.

"…But maybe Japanese basketball still has some hope left in it."

Rukawa's eyes widened, and a very slight, surprised chuckle escaped his lips. Eiji smiled back at Rukawa, almost a bit embarrassed at having said something like that.

"Well then. I guess I might as well leave. There's a flight tomorrow I have to catch."

As Eiji headed towards the doorway, Rukawa asked the question that had been gnawing at him for a while.

"Why… why did you come back?"

Eiji stopped, the door ajar, his hand still on the doorknob. "Do you mean why I came back to Japan, or to visit you?"

Rukawa wasn't really asking the latter part of the question, but decided it wouldn't hurt to know. "…Both."

"This was my last game in Japan… unlike last year, I don't plan on coming back. Or if I do, I likely won't be wearing a Japanese jersey. I just came to tell you that… you were right. That's all. I don't know if I'll ever see you again, so I figured I might as well pay you a visit."

Eiji tilted his head back, looking over his shoulder at Rukawa. "As to why I came back to Japan… it's to play strong players. Like you. I just didn't expect to be knocked off in my first game back."

Eiji then waved, not bothering to wait for a response from Rukawa. "That's it. I'm off. Goodbye, Kanagawa's seed. Despite what I said during the game, you should really take some of the advice I gave you. I wasn't kidding about some of your weaknesses."

Right before Eiji closed the door, he stopped, as if pondering something.

"And… I wish you good luck. Maybe we can play again… in America."

The door snapped shut quietly, and the soft footsteps of Sannoh's ace, undisputedly one of the best high school players in Japan, slowly faded away.

* * *

"I can't see a thing," Hiroshi muttered under his breath, shooting the ball absently. The ball clanged off the rim, and Hiroshi chased the ball down before squinting back into the darkness, trying to make out the hoop.

Hiroshi had found the street court, but much to his disappointment, there were no nearby lights to illuminate the area. Hiroshi sighed, dribbling the ball at his side before deciding to head back.

"Hiro?"

Hiroshi turned at the sudden new voice, and found Sakuragi, with the Sakuragi Army grouped behind him. Hiroshi grinned.

"Sakuragi-senpai!"

"Haha! What a surprise!" Sakuragi laughed, the two basketball players slapping hands in greeting. Youhei and the others looked around the dark court in disbelief.

"Hiro… were you actually trying to play basketball?" Youhei asked in wonder. "It's way too dark, you know."

"I just realized that," Hiroshi replied, bouncing the ball to Ookusu. Sakuragi smacked Hiroshi on the back, leaving the surprised power forward in a coughing fit as he looked around.

"Hiro! You're playing in the place I trained before the Sannoh game last year! Trying a little Tensai training on your own, eh?" Sakuragi turned back around, and saw Hiroshi gasping for air. "You okay, Hiro?"

"Fine," Hiroshi choked out, taking a deep breath. Youhei gave Hiroshi a sympathetic smile, knowing how strong Sakuragi was. Hiroshi straightened, and Takamiya handed Hiroshi a water bottle wordlessly. Hiroshi opened the cap, saw that it was already half empty, and gave Takamiya a dismayed glance.

Takamiya shrugged. "It's all we have."

Hiroshi sighed, taking a cautious sip before handing the bottle back to Takamiya, a slightly revolted look on his face. Sakuragi took the ball from Ookusu's hands and stared at it nostalgically.

_Right… last year,_ Sakuragi smiled, reflecting on how he had woken up early that morning to train here, shooting jumper after jumper to get used to the feeling. Sakuragi also remembered how Yasuda's snores had surprised him into crumpling one of his favorite pictures of Haruko that morning.

Sakuragi suddenly frowned. It seems as if he had lost more than just a picture this year… he had lost Haruko's heart.

Noma broke into his thoughts. "Hanamichi, are we doing anything else tonight?"

When Sakuragi didn't answer, everyone glanced at each other, confused. Ookusu spoke up.

"Hey, Hanamichi. Are we going to wander around town or what?"

Sakuragi abruptly dashed towards the basket, surprising his friends and Hiroshi as he suddenly took off into the air, slamming the ball in the basket with one hand. The echoes of the crash of a hand against the rim resounded throughout the dark basketball court before the steady bounce of the ball reaching the ground joined in. Hiroshi's eyes widened.

_Sakuragi practically dunked from the free-throw line…he was only a couple feet away…_

Sakuragi landed, then burst into sudden, bitter laughter. "Haha! The fox can't do something like that, right! I'm still better than him!"

Youhei looked at Sakuragi with concern. "Hanamichi, are you okay?"

Sakuragi's swift explosion of energy faded again. "Yeah, I'm okay Youhei. Let's call it a night, though. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Oh… okay," Youhei agreed haltingly, then nodded at the other guys. The Army turned, heading towards the hotel they were staying at. Youhei gave Hiroshi and Sakuragi one last glance.

_No matter what he says… Sakuragi has been acting weird… going between bursts of maniac energy and flat, emotionless moments doesn't suit him._ Youhei's eyes narrowed in sudden realization.

_Talking about Rukawa out of nowhere like that… it's definitely something that has to do with Haruko. But I can't help him with that. Sakuragi is going to have to deal with that issue on his own. We did all we could for him that time… all we could._

Youhei wandered off, following the Army into the shadows as Sakuragi and Hiroshi stood without anything left to do.

"I guess we should go back too, huh?" Hiroshi said quietly, picking up his basketball. Sakuragi nodded, and the two began to slowly walk back to the inn. Hiroshi bounced the ball inattentively, making small talk with Sakuragi.

"You know… if I'd hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed you and Rukawa never team up on the court. You guys were reading each other's moves so well today. It's really amazing that you guys can make those passes to each other without doing it during practice or scrimmages."

Sakuragi gave Hiroshi a vague look. "Did I play well today, Hiro?"

Hiroshi smiled back at Sakuragi, ignoring the slightly vulnerable tone in the older player's voice. "You bet, man. You were our leading scorer today, didn't you know that? And as usual, you caught so many rebounds… and made a fair number of blocks…" Hiroshi trailed off a bit. "Yeah… you did great."

Hiroshi looked back over at Sakuragi, and saw the redhead had brightened considerably. "Leading scorer? Did that mean I beat the fox?"

"Yeah, you did."

Sakuragi suddenly had an evil glint in his eye. "I see…"

Hiroshi was quick to stop Sakuragi's plans. "You aren't going to do something nuts tonight, are you?"

"Of course not, Hiro! Don't worry about it!" Sakuragi headed towards the inn with a slight bounce in his step. "Let's go!"

* * *

The door to a certain room in the inn opened,finally ceasing the barrage of knocks and slams.

"What is it?"

"Hey, fox! Guess who beat you as the leading scorer for the Sannoh game today?"

The door slammed back shut without hesitation.

* * *

At the same moment, Mitsui was opening the door to his room, rubbing his tired eyes.

_I need sleep…_ Mitsui thought lethargically, looking around the dark room before realizing his roommate wasn't there. Just as he was about to go looking for him, the door behind him opened and Hiroshi came back in.

"Hey," Hiroshi greeted his senior and Mitsui nodded at him, noticing the basketball in the freshman's arms.

"Basketball? This late at night?" Mitsui sighed, turning around as he took off his shirt, preparing to go to sleep. "You're nuts."

Hiroshi tossed the ball into the corner of the room, raising an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. And you mean to tell me you've never played basketball at night?"

"Shut up."

Hiroshi chuckled at Mitsui's response as he headed back into the bathroom. "I left a note, you know. Anyway, I think I need another shower. You get some sleep."

"I was just about to. Night, Hiroshi."

"Ah. Goodnight, Mitsui-senpai."

Hiroshi was just about to shut the bathroom door before Mitsui interrupted him.

"Hey, Hiroshi."

"Yeah?" Hiroshi stuck his head out, seeing the muscular back of his senior, a shirt half-on. Mitsui was staring out the window, lost in his own thoughts.

"Are you nervous? About the Inter-Highs?"

Hiroshi sighed. "I don't see how anyone wouldn't be... except for you guys. I'm human, you know. I can't just shut off emotions. All I can do is stay calm and deal with it. Besides, the more you play, the more you'll get used to these pressure situations."

Mitsui nodded, as if Hiroshi had something wise or he understood what Hiroshi was getting at. "It actually doesn't get that much easier, you know. I thought that it would too, back then."

"Huh?"

Mitsui seemed to snap out of his daze, and finished putting on the shirt he was going to sleep in. "Nothing much. I sound like a real old guy, huh?"

Hiroshi rolled his eyes, this time shutting the bathroom door behind him. "Nah. You just sound like an experienced veteran."

The sound of running water drowned out the other noises as Mitsui sat on his futon, thinking about his past games, lost dreams, and dreams he achieved.

_I thought it would get easier. I really did._

* * *

"Damn, I slept way too much!"

Miyagi stood outside of the inn, berating himself. After eating with Mitsui, he couldn't go back to sleep, especially with Sakuragi's loud snores keeping him up. Although his body still ached all over, his mind was now relatively energized.

Miyagi took a deep breath of the night air, trying to relax so he could go back in and sleep.

"Ryota? What are you still doing up?"

There went the chance to relax.

Miyagi whirled around to find Ayako, dressed simply in a skirt, her trademark cap nowhere in sight as she rubbed her eyes, yawning.

"A-A-Aya-chan!" Miyagi stuttered, taken aback at seeing her crush out this late at night. "W-what are you still doing up?"

Ayako sighed in exhaustion. "I had to make sure your guys' jerseys got cleaned, update my stats book, and Anzai-sensei told me to check into Daiei High's roster and stats, including their last game."

Miyagi turned his gaze back upwards to the night sky. "And?"

Ayako followed his gaze to the sky, a playful smile on her face. "And… that's it. I saw you out here, and decided maybe fresh air was a good idea. Why? Are you worried about tomorrow's game?"

Miyagi chuckled at her tone, then suddenly winced at the deep ache in his muscles. "With the shape I'm in, I guess I sort of am."

Ayako smile faded. "Ryota… the game doesn't just rest on your shoulders. There's a bunch of guys in there that hate losing just as much as you."

Miyagi nodded, understanding. "You're right. Those punks won't ever give up."

The two fell silent for a few moments, just enjoying the view. The night air flowed past them, fresh and cool—a typical, wonderful summer night. Ayako sighed again, this time in content.

"It's a great night for star-gazing. I guess I haven't really taken the time to do it more often."

"Same here," Miyagi agreed, hands in his pockets. Ayako gave Miyagi a skeptical look.

"Since when did you like looking at stars, Ryota? You don't look like those dreamer types. Or a romantic type," Ayako added jokingly.

"Dreamer types?" Miyagi laughed, amused. "Where would you get that idea?"

"Watch more movies," Ayako smiled, nudging Miyagi. Ayako turned her gaze back to the sky.

"…I love movies, you know."

Ayako didn't pay attention as Miyagi's gaze turned into one of surprise. "Do you remember, Ryota?"

"Huh?"

"When you first asked me out."

Miyagi stiffened. "Ah… yeah…" How could he forget? Miyagi was rejected the first time he asked her, and after pursuing ten more girls and being rejected by all of them, he discovered that the one he truly felt anything for was Ayako. It was a story he had only shared with Sakuragi, and no one else.

"_Aya-chan…"_

"_Yes?"_

"_I was wondering if… after practice… you wanted to… go watch a movie maybe?"_

"…_I'm sorry, Ryota. I'm busy… I don't have time to do anything with you."_

Miyagi closed his eyes at the sudden unhappy memory. Why was Ayako bringing it up now?

"That was smart. Playing to a girl's interests."

Miyagi saw Ayako now staring fixatedly at him, and felt a bit unnerved. "What? I didn't even—"

"To be honest, I was a bit surprised, Ryota. I didn't think you would get the nerve to ask me out." Ayako tilted her face towards her feet. "Sorry I didn't reward you for your efforts."

The moon and starlight played off Ayako's face, giving her a surreal and beautiful look that made Miyagi's breath catch in his throat. Miyagi's usual fast reaction had been completely drawn down at this conversation.

"I didn't lie, you know. I really was too busy. And… I'm not going to deny it, Ryota, but I didn't think of you as a romantic interest."

Miyagi felt his chest constrict. Disappointment.

"Why… why are we talking about this?" Miyagi forced out. Too soon. Hearing things like this wasn't what Miyagi was expecting. Miyagi wasn't ready to ask her out yet, but to hear this before he even got the chance to…

"Because… feelings change."

Miyagi's heartbeat stopped.

"Ryota, we're about to graduate. I realized… during today…" Ayako took a few steps away from the captain of Shohoku. "During the Sannoh match… that our friendship… our relationship could end at anytime. Once Shohoku wins, or loses, and we take our entrance exams for the universities, who knows what will happen? No one can guarantee we go to the same university."

Miyagi listened attentively, trying to figure out what Ayako was getting at. "I know that, Ayako. But… what exactly are you saying?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Ayako abruptly turned, her curls dancing around elegantly as she faced Miyagi. Ayako had a resolute look on her pretty face, as she faced the man that had chased her since he had first laid eyes on the manageress.

"Ryota, if you want to make a move, you better do it now."

Miyagi gaped at Ayako for a brief second, then his cheeks instantly flushed. Miyagi tried to say something, but couldn't quite form the words. Miyagi finally squeezed out a question.

"Why?"

Ayako didn't tear her gaze away, still having her assertive, confident air that she always carried around… a trait many found particularly charming. "That's not the right question to ask, Ryota."

"I…" Miyagi clenched his fist, shocked at this sudden development. Miyagi still didn't feel ready… but Ayako was right. It could be over, any time. Shohoku could lose at any time… and even if they didn't, this dream would come to an end sooner or later. Whether Shohoku won or lost, it'd just be buying time for the inevitable; Miyagi and Ayako would eventually have to leave Shohoku. The main issue was: when they left, what would their relationship be like?

He had to take a step. Or else… there wouldn't be time to. He certainly hadn't expected such a proposition from Ayako herself, but it was logical. It suited her assertive personality.

"Aya-chan… if you're up to it sometime… would you like to…" Miyagi gave Ayako a small smile, making his decision. "Watch a movie with me?"

Ayako returned Miyagi's small smile with one of her own, a flash of pearl white to match the pale white of the moon above the two. "Sure thing, Ryota."

Ayako walked back over to Miyagi, and finally saw how red he was. Ayako giggled as Miyagi frowned at her. "Embarrassed?"

"No," Miyagi bluffed, looking back up at the stars to avoid looking at her. A great load seemed to have been lifted from his mind, and he was still sort of stunned by everything. Ayako nudged Miyagi, even though the point guard didn't look back down.

"I hate taking things fast, by the way. So don't get wrong ideas."

"I'll keep it in mind."

The two resumed staring at the night sky, as the quiet of the night enveloped them.


	55. Chapter 54

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Chapter 54 – Transfers**

"Good morning."

"Ugh. Morning."

Miyagi frowned, obviously not in the mood for pleasantries as he rubbed his face lethargically to try and get the blood moving. Yasuda gave him a concerned look.

"You okay, Miyagi?"

"Yeah, I think," Miyagi muttered tiredly, twisting his arm around and wincing. _Man, I haven't woken up with this many aches and pains in years…_

The Shohoku team was once again gathering in the lobby, as those already there waited for Anzai-sensei and other stragglers to show up. After sleeping in late before the Sannoh game, Miyagi had been one of the first ones to get to the lobby to set a better example for the players… not that he had been particularly enthusiastic about it.

"Hurry up! I want to go!"

Sakuragi stretched in one of the chairs, looking nowhere near as fatigued as Miyagi; in fact, he seemed as if he hadn't played against Sannoh at all. Miyagi's frown deepened, his arms falling back to his sides.

_He's really a monster… _

"Quiet!" A fan instantly struck from the heavens, smacking the redhead over the top of the head and sending him sprawling from the chair. Ayako straightened, wagging the fan in front of Sakuragi like a mother scolding a child.

"Have some patience! Don't you think the more time you have to relax, the better?"

"No," Sakuragi muttered under his breath, nursing his welt as Ayako shot a small smile over at Miyagi. The captain tilted his face away to avoid eye contact, embarrassed. Yasuda looked between the two, not quite understanding their new relationship.

Meanwhile, Hiroshi and Rukawa were sitting across from each other on a nearby sofa. The game pieces Anzai commonly used to discuss his plays during the game was laid out between the two, with Ayako's roster next to it as Rukawa moved one of the pieces towards the basket. Mitsui was talking with Anzai near the entrance of the inn, hence the two now having time to use Anzai's equipment.

"You didn't do well on help defense," Rukawa said quietly, moving a #13 piece over to represent Hiroshi. "When he beat me off the dribble, that dou ahou was playing the other side of the basket. You needed to—"

"I had foul trouble," Hiroshi replied, his neutral tone of voice making it clear he was stating it as a fact rather than as defense for his position. "Earlier in the game, I was—"

Rukawa raised his hand, stopping the rookie before he could expound on his challenges any further. "Blocking."

Hiroshi's eyes widened. "You could tell?"

Rukawa shrugged ambivalently, reclining backwards into his seat. "It's not smart to do. Blocking. It's too easy to pick up fouls."

Hiroshi bit his lip, staring at the piece of paper that represented the court. The next phrase just spilled out of his mouth, without pretense:

"Your father."

Rukawa didn't react when the words left the rookie's lips. Hiroshi looked up to meet Rukawa's typical frosty glare, aiming to convey how serious he felt this moment was.

"I met him in Tokyo," Hiroshi finished, feeling that was all he needed to say. There was still no response as Rukawa stared back at Hiroshi expectantly.

"Is that all?"

Hiroshi blinked, unable to mount a response due to his surprise. "What do you mean, 'is that all?'"

"Is that all you have to say?"

Hiroshi wasn't sure how to respond as Rukawa leaned forward in his seat again, moving the #11 piece over towards the paint. Hiroshi thought the subject was about to be dropped completely before Rukawa finally asked him another question.

"What did he tell you?"

Suddenly nervous about his predicament, Hiroshi shifted in his seat. "Just… defense tips. I played a bit with him."

Rukawa looked at his piece blankly, his long pale fingers unmoving. It was hard to tell if he was considering Hiroshi's words or thinking of something else altogether as his typically lightly ashen face caught the faint rays of the sun that had just begun to seep through the window.

"I couldn't catch up with him."

"I couldn't either," Hiroshi said sheepishly as Rukawa abruptly got to his feet, turning from the rookie.

"I was talking about the person you were supposed to help me defend."

He began to walk away, not giving Hiroshi much time to react as the rookie stared after Rukawa's retreating figure.

_Did you really mean that, Rukawa? Or was it like I first thought… you were talking about your father? But haven't you caught up to him already? Haven't you surpassed him, long ago? What do you mean…?_

"He said he misses you."

Again, the words were out of his mouth before Hiroshi himself knew they were. Rukawa paused, not turning as he put his hands in his pockets.

"I know he does."

Hiroshi nodded, feeling that was a satisfactory answer—he knew Rukawa wasn't completely emotionless. Hiroshi busied himself with the game pieces, oblivious that Rukawa was now staring out a window, seemingly lost in thought.

"By the way. Did he say anything about your defense?"

"Huh?" Hiroshi looked back up, finding himself again at a loss for words. For someone that didn't talk much, Rukawa sure seemed to have a way with asking unexpected questions.

Hiroshi scratched his head embarrassingly. "Well, he said I was uh… what was it…? 'Competent'…."

"He was lying."

Hiroshi could only watch as Rukawa sauntered off without another word, the rookie stunned into disbelief at the callous nature of his words. Mitsui, having overheard the last bit of the conversation, walked over and clapped Hiroshi on the back before flashing him a big grin.

"Got burned by 'Rukawa-sama,' huh?" he asked, sarcasm and mirth evident in his voice. Hiroshi glanced up at the vice-captain, still in disbelief.

When Hiroshi didn't say anything in response Mitsui's smile slowly faded, worried that Hiroshi had been seriously offended. "Oi. What's wrong?"

Hiroshi worked his jaw for a second before answering, his tone bewildered and astonished.

"…I must really suck…"

Laughter filled the hotel lobby as Anzai adjusted his glasses, taking one final look around to make sure all of his players had arrived.

"Shall we go, then?"

* * *

"'Love Machine'…"

"No way."

"He's seriously singing Morning Musume?"

"Didn't know he was queer…"

Everyone clamored near Sakuragi, who was humming the very girly pop song off-tune with his eyes closed, oblivious to the audience around him. Miyagi and Mitsui had already started cracking up long ago, which had tipped off the others to observe the spectacle. Kuwata covered Yasuda's mouth before the senior could catch Sakuragi's attention, with even the normally quiet Yasuda unable to keep a straight face at the sight. Rukawa sighed in the row behind the group, putting his own headphones on to block them out.

"Dou ahou."

Farther back sat Hiroshi, who had pressed his head against the window of the small bus, completely lost in thought. Ayako, who was sitting across the aisle, kept glancing over at him curiously as she wrote in her manager's notebook.

"Hiroshi, are you okay?"

He didn't respond. Ayako raised an eyebrow, surprised that the rookie hadn't heard her. Instead, he continued to look out at the passing scenery.

"_**Being a good defender… doesn't mean you have to have lots of blocks. Remember that first. Blocks are always good to have, but it's nothing impressive if you can't shut down a player."**_

_But isn't blocking part of defense?_ Hiroshi frowned, turning it over in his mind as he absently moved to bring down the window for some fresh air, not noticing that the bus was slowing to a stop. _It's my own fault for being unable to stay out of foul trouble. It will help the team greatly if I could at least block at a respectable rate. Give the team some intimidation factor on defense, like Sakuragi does. But… how am I going to figure all of this out in time to make an impact?_

"Hiroshi."

_We're all going to have to step up our game. Fatigue is no longer an excuse… neither is our lack of time between games. And yet…_

"Hiroshi!"

"Wha-what!" Startled, Hiroshi turned to see Ayako's face inches from his. He recoiled, bumping the back of his head against the window with a dull thud and promptly doubled over in his seat, wincing in pain.

"We're here," she said quietly in explanation, a look of concern on her face. He waved one of his hands to show he was okay to allay any fears that he was seriously hurt. Ayako stared at him a second longer before glancing back down at her notebook.

"Erm, there was also something I wanted to ask you."

"Yes? Yes." Hiroshi shook the stars out of his eyes as she held up the roster sheet.

"We all noticed this long ago, but I don't think anyone has really asked you a reason why. Your name. You don't have a surname; they're both given names."

"Oh…" Hiroshi nodded, straightening. "Yes, 'Kazuo' is my father's name. My family name is actually 'Kawasaki,' and it's registered as such on legal documentation, like my application for this school."

"Huh," Ayako clicked her tongue, feeling she learned something interesting. "Would you like me to change your name on the roster, then?"

"It's your choice. I just took his name because…" Hiroshi stopped, realizing he was about to tell her he was an orphan. She gave him a knowing smile.

"Ryota told me. You don't have to act secretive about it."

"Ah." Hiroshi bowed his head in thanks. "I'll have you change it some other time, when I feel like I should."

"Sure. And are you really okay?" She gave him another quick smile before lightly tapping the back of the notebook against the top of his head. Hiroshi returned her smile, easing her worries. Ayako turned away and advanced down the bus aisle, hopping off the vehicle to join the rest of the players.

Hiroshi didn't immediately join her, instead once again losing himself in thought. It wasn't about his own woes this time, however.

The mere mentioning of his father seemed to stir something in him. Something was tugging at his brain—something from the past, and yet he couldn't quite remember exactly what it meant.

A question.

_Do you like basketball?_

* * *

Miyagi was waiting at the entrance of the gym, making sure that all his players were accounted for. When Ayako was finally within earshot he motioned behind her, back towards the bus.

"Is Hiroshi coming?"

"Yep," she replied easily. She zipped past him in a rush, but not before nudging him with her elbow and accomplishing her goal of eliciting a faint blush from his cheeks. "Good luck today."

"Yeah," Miyagi smiled as she strode towards the gym. He stared after her, not noticing a tall figure sauntering up behind him.

"Ready to go, captain?" Hiroshi said casually, bumping Miyagi with his gym bag to get his attention. When Miyagi didn't immediately respond, Hiroshi followed Miyagi's gaze and instantly put two and two together. With a rare mischievous grin, Hiroshi nudged him knowingly before following the rest of the team. Realizing what had just occurred, Miyagi jogged up to Hiroshi, a finger to his lips. Hiroshi burst into laughter and nodded as the two reached the doors of the gym, a silent agreement reached.

Sakuragi was holding the gym's double doors open for the two, an energetic grin on his face.

"Ryo-chin! Hiro! Come on, let's go!"

"You've been pumped up all morning," Miyagi observed, stepping through the entrance and into cool ventilated air. Hiroshi shrugged, not surprised in the least as Sakuragi closed the doors behind the two.

"It's cause he's the leading scorer of Shohoku for the Nationals."

"Of course!" Sakuragi shouted enthusiastically, Miyagi covering his face in embarrassment when the redhead's voice echoed down the hallway. "I'll beat the fox today too, after all!"

"Right," Miyagi said dryly, shifting the duffel bag strapped across his forehead. As Sakuragi took the lead, Miyagi kicked him in the rear out of habit. "Now enough talk. Let's go change and warm-up!"

Kogure adjusted his glasses just as Anzai did, the two mirroring each other perfectly.

"How does the game-plan look, Sensei?"

"Passable," Anzai answered briskly, giving Haruko and her friends a quizzical glance as he continued to address Kogure. "Will you be sitting down here at the benches?"

"No, I'll be joining Haruko at the top… unless she wanted to help Ayako out."

"It's okay," Haruko smiled, cocking her head to the side. "I'd just get in her way."

"I think you should stay down here," Matsui interjected, nudging her friend. "Aren't you a manageress too? You haven't sat on the sidelines much."

"I don't feel like I'm watching basketball down here," Haruko explained to her, a defensive tone sneaking into her voice. This was not the first time her friends had urged her to rejoin the team courtside. "I feel like when I cheer them from the stands, I'm really giving them a morale boost. In the stands… I'm a real spectator."

Her friends dropped the subject, seemingly still unhappy with the vague answers Haruko continued to give them. Kogure could only nod in agreement with what she said, though he was not quite sure what Ayako thought of all this. Before the conversation could pick up again a ball bounced between the group. Ayako, who had been standing a ways off without eavesdropping on the conversation, stooped to pick up the bouncing ball. She tossed it back to Mitsui, who had been shooting around near them.

"Sorry about that!" Mitsui called as Ayako waved him off, the other Shohoku players also all gathered on the court for shooting warm-ups.

Mitsui turned back towards the court and launched a three, making it with a splash. As soon as it went in, another three-pointer swished in after it. Mitsui glanced over to see Rukawa in the opposite corner, shooting threes as well.

_Hm… challenge?_ Mitsui thought with amusement. After getting the ball back from Kuwata, who was fetching rebounds for everyone, he nonchalantly dribbled towards center court. With a quick turn of the heel, he abruptly put up a three-pointer a few feet from the arc. Again, the ball swished through the net.

Rukawa gave Mitsui a blank stare, recognizing the unspoken challenge. Never one to give in, Rukawa took a few steps back from his position in the corner and shot his own three, nailing it easily.

Again. Again. Farther. Farther.

Soon Rukawa was out of bounds and Mitsui was nearing mid-court, the audience now growing rowdy as they watched the display of shooting. Rukawa shook his wrist out and his voice, though quiet, managed to reach Mitsui.

"I'm in good condition, senpai."

"So am I," Mitsui smiled, shooting again. The sweet sound of a swish was all that met his ears. The other Shohoku players were standing away from the shooting match, engrossed in it and giving the two some space. However at the very next instance that Rukawa took a shot, another ball soared in from the benches and knocked the shot off-balance.

There was a long, painful silence before the culprit instantly burst into wild laughter.

"Oops! Sorry, fox!" Sakuragi tried to give the impression of apologizing, but was laughing too hard. The rest of the Shohoku team remained quiet, too shocked for words at the redhead's brazen action. Rukawa stared at his rival blankly and without another word turned on his heel, took another ball, and resumed normal shooting warm-ups, the three-point contest now forgotten.

"Dou ahou," Rukawa finally said, loud enough for all the players to hear.

Sakuragi's laughter instantly halted. "What'd you say, fox? You bastard…"

Before he could approach to do battle, a ball rolled and bounced against his feet, stopping him. A player from Daiei jogged over, looking apologetic. His build was small, just around Miyagi's height, and his dark hair was puffed into something approaching an afro.

"Sorry about that!" he called as Sakuragi reached down, palmed the ball, and tossed it back nonchalantly. Giving the Shohoku players a quick look-over, his eyes lit as soon as it settled upon Miyagi.

"Oi! Miyagi!"

Miyagi turned, as did the other Shohoku players in the vicinity. The Shohoku captain's gaze, previously hard-set and focused while he stressed about the upcoming game, slid into a look of surprise.

"…Matsumaru!"

Both of them jogged towards mid-court and there was a resounding slap of hands as they shook. By now, both teams were watching intently as Miyagi clapped Matsumaru's shoulder and offered him a wide grin.

"How you been, man?"

"Good, man. You're still balling, I see."

"Can't give up the love, bro."

Ayako considered the two, taken aback at the sudden display of friendship. _Ryota is talking quite casually…_

"That's Matsumaru Daisuke."

Yasuda spoke loudly enough for the other Shohoku players to hear. Rukawa and Sakuragi continued their shooting with only a fraction of their attention on this new development, too focused on the upcoming game to care. Hiroshi was laying on one of the benches, a forearm rested over his eyes—although it was uncertain whether he was dozing or listening.

"He tried out in the first year too, remember?" Yasuda gave Ayako a nostalgic smile, expectant. "All three of us went to the same middle-school."

Her eyebrows knitting in thought, Ayako placed a hand to her forehead and mulled it over for a moment before her eyes lit with recognition. "Oh, that's right! He was only here for the first day of training, so I didn't remember him so quickly."

A collective murmur went through the older Shohoku players, now also beginning to recall Mastumaru. Yasuda, apparently also close to the other player, quickly walked over to Miyagi and in a matter of moments, the three of them were talking and laughing.

After a few more seconds of thought, Ayako suddenly realized that something was amiss. If Matsumaru had applied for the Shohoku basketball team, why was he now at Daiei High?

"But wait, how did…"

"It's strange," Kogure realized, having guessed at Ayako's train of thought. It was instead Anzai, seated at the bench and reviewing his notes for the game, who spoke up with an answer.

"Transfers."

"Eh?" The players turned to the jolly coach, who was as calm as always as he offered everyone an explanation.

"It's becoming more prevalent. All high schools want the best players, am I correct? There is a collective effort to bring the best talent to form the strongest team."

Kogure nodded. "That's right… Ryonan's coach recruited all of our old starters, except for Akagi and Sakuragi."

Anzai ruffled through some of his game plans as he continued to speak.

"Yes. However, the choice lies entirely with the player. If the recruitment doesn't go well then the player usually goes to another high school. Matsumaru-kun originally came to Shohoku, but because at the time we had a very poor ranking…" he trailed off. Kogure quickly made the connection.

"He transferred to the high school where he thought he could get a better chance on the team. Or maybe the other high school intensified their recruitment or offered a better alternative after the player has found out what the high school they enrolled in is really about."

Ayako spoke up, partly in frustration. "But wait, why would anyone go to the trouble—"

"Basketball."

Hiroshi's voice reached the group as they turned their attention to him. He continued to lay on the bench, unmoving.

"For some people, their life _is_ basketball. School, grades, stuff like that is secondary. Changing high schools for a better record isn't a big deal if the better universities notice you and your chance of going pro is increased. The only exceptions are those that can actually bring a team's potential out alone."

"Like Sendoh, Maki, Fujima…" Ayako trailed off, now understanding.

"It could be double-edged sword, right? Because if you're very good but you go to an even better team, you may never get to prove your skill," Haruko offered, understanding the implications of making such a decision. Hiroshi pushed himself to a sitting position, and with his face now in plain sight, everyone could see a wan smile on his lips.

"Well, that's up to them to decide, isn't it?"

Matsumaru continued to talk to Miyagi, smiles stretching across their faces as Yasuda nodded to whatever they were saying. Ayako stared at them blankly for a moment longer before turning back to her duties. Sakuragi and Rukawa didn't offer their opinions and it wasn't clear if they had even paid attention at all as they continued to dash in for lay-ups and dunks to warm their bodies up.

"Line up!" a referee called, interrupting the conversation between the three reunited colleagues. Miyagi and Yasuda slapped hands with Matsumaru before they all raced back to their respective teams. Mitsui gave Miyagi a quick look over as the Shohoku starters shed their warm-up outfits to reveal their dark red jerseys, signifying that they were the away team.

"No hard feelings when we play, I hope."

Miyagi shrugged, tugging on his wristbands with his teeth as he adjusted his shorts with the other hand. "Past is past. Just because we all played together in middle school doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on him."

"Did you know?" Mitsui rotated his wrist methodically. Nearby Hiroshi and Sakuragi punched each other's shoulders good-naturedly, trying to pump themselves up.

"Suspected. I thought I saw him that time we went to see Daiei High play… but I wasn't sure. His hair changed a lot, I'll tell you that." He looked at the row Daiei High jerseys waiting at half court, his eye drawn to the captain of the opposing team.

"Tsuchiya is the one we have to worry about."

"I'll guard him," Rukawa immediately said, sidling up next to the two. Sakuragi and Hiroshi sauntered over to the three as Miyagi ran his hands through the sides of his hair, an excited grin spreading across his face.

"Then let's get started, shall we?"


	56. Chapter 55

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating this wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Chapter 55 – Zone**

While the two teams met in the center of the basketball court to shake hands and size each other up, Ayako was busy on the Shohoku bench laying out stats sheets and making notes for her pre-game ritual of assessing the matchups. The Daiei High players all seemed fairly normal save for the tallest person on their team—an imposing, muscular figure that sported a huge Mohawk that arched over his otherwise bald head. Quiet murmurs spread throughout the crowd as they discussed the gathering of the teams.

"That guy looks scary…" Haruko whispered to Youhei as she discreetly pointed out the Mohawked player on Daiei, the group having already made their way to the stands. The other Sakuragi Army members nodded quickly in agreement. Kogure, not one to be fooled by outlandish appearances, instead sized up the opponents the same way all the other Shohoku starters did—by their physiques and builds.

Well, almost all the other Shohoku starters.

_Porcupine head? Taken._ Sakuragi checked off the nickname in his head as he shook hands with the Mohawked player. _Something-haired monster? Taken by that guy from last year. Then…_

A smile spread across his face.

"Nice to meet you, Pineapple Head!"

There was a brief, shocked silence from the other players.

"…That doesn't look like a pineapple, though," Yasuda whispered to Miyagi before there was a loud, hearty laugh from the "Pineapple Head." In a matter of seconds Sakuragi had joined in the laughter as the other players all heaved a collective sigh of relief, feeling they had avoided the breakout of another fight.

"Sorry. He's just stupid," Miyagi apologized to Tsuchiya, the captains shaking hands as the two with the odd hair continued to yuk it up nearby.

"Not at all," Tsuchiya smiled easily, his hand falling away. The Daiei High ace was visibly relaxed, confident. "I hope for a good match today."

"Sakuragi Hanamichi, right?" the Mohawked player smacked Sakuragi on the shoulder, a thunderous clap resounding throughout the gym. Although Sakuragi didn't even seem to notice and continued to chuckle, it was evident to everyone else that the Daiei High player's muscles weren't just for show. "Ken's the name. Let's see those skills of yours."

The shriek of a whistle cut into the meet and greet, a referee coming between the teams with the game ball.

"Centers, opening tip!"

As the crowd began to lean forward in anticipation, Ayako on Shohoku's bench finished arranging all her paperwork and finally settled down with the rosters. A delicate finger trailed down the sheet, comparing the matchups.

**Point Guard: **

#4 Miyagi Ryota (3rd year)- 170 cm, 60 kg

#7 Matsumaru Daisuke (3rd year)- 172 cm, 61 kg

**Shooting Guard: **

#5 Mitsui Hisashi (3rd year)- 186 cm, 71 kg

#5 Iyama Toshiya (3rd year)- 183 cm, 67 kg

**Small Forward: **

#11 Rukawa Kaede (2nd year)- 189 cm, 76 kg

#4 Tsuchiya Atsushi (3rd year)- 187 cm, 73 kg

**Power Forward:**

#13 Kazuo Hiroshi (1st year)- 190 cm, 77 kg

#8 Hirai Akihiro (2nd year)- 188 cm, 79 kg

**Center:**

#10 Sakuragi Hanamichi (2nd year)- 192 cm, 84 kg

#12 Shimoda Ken (1st year)- 190 cm, 83 kg

_Height-wise, they're very close to us. But we have an advantage in the front-court: their starting center is the same height as Hiroshi!_ Ayako glanced up at Ken, now having a name to attach to his delinquent-like appearance.

_Although… that Mohawk makes him appear taller than Sakuragi. But then again the reason they seem to get along so well is because they're both the trouble-maker looking types, aren't they? Radical hair, wild nature…_

Back courtside, the two centers were tensed and eager for the opening jump. The referee glanced between the two, assessing their readiness before he abruptly heaved the ball upwards. Both players exploded into the air, with Sakuragi having the edge in lift. He smashed the ball away from the Daiei High players, right into Miyagi's waiting hands.

As the game officially began and all the players moved to position, Miyagi caught Sakuragi's attention and jokingly blew on one free hand.

"Your aim is a lot better, but do you always have to be so hard with it?"

"Intimidation, Ryo-chin!" Sakuragi called as he jogged towards his position in the post. Miyagi could only grin in reply as he focused his attention onto his opponent. His grin stretched just a bit wider at the familiar sight of his former teammate Matsumaru crouched low, ready for any tricks that Miyagi might pull.

"Just like old times. I won't go easy on you."

"Neither will I," Matsumaru smiled back before swiping forward at the ball. Miyagi reacted instantly, pulling back his dribble and changing it into a one-handed pass to Rukawa, who was cutting down the center of Daiei High's defense. Rukawa pulled to an abrupt stop and leapt into the air, looking as if he would have an easy shot for the briefest of moments before Tsuchiya followed him skyward.

"Daiei High has good defense," Kogure noticed from the bench, surprised that Tsuchiya was able to keep up with Shohoku's athleticism.

Rukawa's eyes flitted right, unbothered by Tsuchiya's defense and catching sight of his true target. The shot turned into a quick shovel pass under Tsuchiya's outstretched arms. There was a thundering yell followed by the rattling of the rim as Sakuragi dunked over Ken, eliciting a shocked gasp from the crowd.

"What a powerful dunk!"

"That redhead is as wild as yesterday's game!"

Sakuragi and Rukawa raced downcourt, not acknowledging each other and ignoring their teammate's astonished smiles.

"Working together on the first play… a good step forward," Ayako whispered under her breath, adjusting her cap.

Matsumaru, being Daiei High's point guard, was in charge of handling the ball downcourt and to set up his team's offense. In contrast to the dazzling, flashy handles of Miyagi, his was a slow, methodical dribble. The other players were quick to pass by Matsumaru, with Tsuchiya tapping Ken on the shoulder to get the attention of his center.

"Establish position better, Shimoda."

"Yep, oyabun," Ken growled in response, drawing sweatdrops from the nearby Shohoku players.

"_Oyabun?" Is that guy from the yakuza?_ Hiroshi wondered. Before he could mull it over any further, Hirai Akihiro lumbered past Hiroshi with unexpected speed. Quick to give chase after the other power forward, Hiroshi realized that he was unable to keep up even at his top speed and was a step slower than the opponent. Despite looking like a tank of muscle, Hirai appeared to have plenty of explosive power to back it up.

_This is going to be a rough defensive assignment,_ Hiroshi thought as he finally caught up, furtively placing a hand on Hirai's jersey to make sure he didn't escape.

Matsumaru didn't challenge Miyagi to any sort of one-on-one play, instead dribbling carefully before passing it off. The ball rotated around the arc methodically, looking for a seam in the defense. Anzai pushed up his glasses, appearing to recognize Daiei High's playing style.

_Interesting…_

A battle was going on between the aces: Rukawa trailed Tsuchiya like a shadow, the other ace darting between his teammates and around screens to try and lose him. Once the ball reached Matsumaru again, the point guard abruptly lobbed the ball upwards with the shot clock winding down. His target was the Daiei High vice-captain, who had managed to get free from Mitsui's defense. The player caught the ball in one-hand and tapped it off the glass gracefully just as Mitsui yanked on his arm, trying to keep him down. The whistle blew loudly as the scoreboards clicked to 2-2.

"Pulling, red #5! Basket counts, one throw!"

"Micchi! What was that?" Sakuragi yelled in frustration, Mitsui shooting him a dirty look in return. Miyagi kicked Sakuragi from behind to stop the two from escalating things further.

"It might work if the referee wasn't looking," the player mumbled to nobody in particular, catching Mitsui's attention. His hair was dark and unruly, not overtly long but enough to give him a disheveled look. His build was thinner than most basketball players and his skin was deathly pale, giving him a sickly appearance.

He met Mitsui's surprised stare, his own eyes half-open and unfocused. "Those kinds of cheap tricks don't work on me."

Mitsui scoffed in return. "What do you know?"

Instead of answering, the player weakly shuffled to the free-throw line, coughing the entire while. The other Shohoku players glanced at each other and shrugged, confused at his odd behavior.

"What's up with that guy? Is that guy sick?" Miyagi asked Matsumaru, the two milling around at mid-court waiting for the other players to line up for the free-throw. Matsumaru shook his head, uncertain.

"Toshiya, you mean? Dunno. Not too sure what's up with him. All three years he's always looked like that, like the type that doesn't get out enough and shouldn't even be out here. Let us just call him by his surname too. But he's one of those natural talents at basketball, you dig? He's probably as good as our captain."

"Ah," Miyagi nodded absently, taking note of the information. _I thought it would get easier since we just got past Sannoh, but it looks like things are just going to get even tougher…_

Toshiya stared at the ball blankly for a few seconds before shooting, not even bothering to glace up at the rim. The ball swished through the net beautifully, enough to cause even Mitsui to raise an eyebrow in interest.

_What a strange player… but I can't deny that shooting form is not like someone who doesn't know his way around the ball. And that kiss off the glass from the lob…_ Mitsui grinned, feeling his competitive spirit rising despite himself.

_This is going to be fun…!_

Meanwhile in the stands, Youhei and the others were all watching the game unfold with baited breath. Well, almost all of them—Nori was practically weeping over his hero Mitsui getting scored on.

"Looks like these guys are going to be a tough team too," Youhei sighed, reclining in his chair.

"It's the Nationals. Each round will only get harder," Kogure stated. "No team can go deep into the tournament through sheer luck, no matter what the bracket looks like."

"Speaking of which, what are the other games today?" Noma asked, leaning forward in his seat. Haruko had gotten hold of a flyer detailing the schedule for today's matches and she was taking notes on the potential matchups, doing some of her manageress duties before the game picked up steam.

"Ryonan's game is after this," Haruko stated, finishing a scribble off. "It's a triple-header in this stadium. So after Ryonan plays there will be one more game."

She snapped her notebook closed and glanced over her shoulder, meeting the eyes of the Sakuragi Army. "After Ryonan's match will be Josei High and Haraguichi."

"Rematch from last year's opening games, huh?" Noma noted, sniffling under his dark mustache. "At least we get to see it this year."

"Who are Ryonan playing?" Youhei asked.

"Hori High. They did pretty well last year. Round of 16."

"Huh. Never heard of them." Youhei's thoughts were interrupted by another yell from the courts and a body hitting the floor. The referee's whistle shrieked, putting a stoppage to play.

"Offensive foul, red #5! Daiei ball!"

"Holy…" Miyagi covered his face, disappointed. Mitsui could only stare at the referee in disbelief as the Daiei High players helped Toshiya up, the sickly player having drawn the charge. The Shohoku bench was silent as Ayako nervously updated her stats sheet.

_Second foul…_ She quickly shot a glance at the scoreboard and breathed in deeply. _19:02… it hasn't even been a minute._

Anzai rose from his seat and made a signal towards Miyagi, who noticed but shook his head. There was a brief moment of unspoken tension before Anzai nodded and sat back down. As the teams changed possessions, Miyagi tapped Mitsui on the shoulder.

"Hey. Keep yourself in check, okay?"

"You don't need to tell me that," Mitsui snapped, jogging off before Miyagi could lecture him. Miyagi gave Anzai another glance out of the corner of his eye.

_Sorry, Sensei._ _But although I know you want to play it safe for as long as possible, but we can't let Mitsui sit down this early._ Miyagi turned his attention back to the game and got into defensive position, preparing to guard Matsumaru. As if hearing Miyagi's unspoken words, Anzai chuckled mirthfully. Ayako frowned, confused that the coach was still jovial.

"Sensei, are you sure…"

"Ayako-chan, floor generals have to have their own thoughts about the game-plan. I would rather see Miyagi-kun disobey me once in a while than to listen to me all the time."

He sighed lightly, as if he had thought of some distant memory, before another soft chuckle left his lips. "The best players always have their own drive and desire, after all."

With that, there was a loud roar from the crowd as Matsumaru lobbed the ball again, this time straight towards Hirai.

"Alley-oop my ass!" Sakuragi screamed, switching off Ken to help Hiroshi. However instead of dunking, Hirai played it safe and landed with the ball before passing it back out to Toshiya. Toshiya threw the ball to Matsumaru and the offense reset despite the dwindling shot clock.

_What are you planning?_ Miyagi thought, crouching to defensive position again; even he had thought Hirai would have taken the risk and tried to nail one over Sakuragi. The squeaks of sneakers against hardwood were unceasing, especially from the Rukawa-Tsuchiya matchup as Tsuchiya continued to race around the other players without stopping for a second.

As soon as the shot-clock had reached five seconds, Matsumaru made his move and tried to race past Miyagi. However, he found that Miyagi was too quick and was forced to stop his dribble.

"What's wrong, man?" Miyagi grinned, swiping at the ball. "You forgot how I used to beat you down in practice?"

A blur registered out of the corner of Miyagi's eye and Matsumaru shot a pass towards the figure. Tsuchiya caught the ball and instantly leapt into the air, shooting with a lighting-quick flick of the wrist over Rukawa. The ball hit the end of the cylinder and rattled in, drawing claps of appreciation from Daiei High's bench.

"Nice, Tsuchiya!"

Tsuchiya looked over at Rukawa, engaging in some brief conversation with the ace.

"I watched you against Sannoh, you know. Last year."

Rukawa didn't reply as Miyagi handled the ball upcourt, barking out a play. Tsuchiya's glance shot left to check how his teammates were doing before turning his attention back to Rukawa.

"You were the first person I've ever seen to match Sawakita Eiji like that. I won't take you lightly. It's hard to say if I can beat you one-on-one..."

Although Rukawa continued to remain silent, it was obvious he was listening as he cut across the middle, Tsuchiya managing to keep up with Rukawa's speed.

"However, I'll be enough of an opponent for you to take seriously. I'll make sure my team wins, whether I can defeat you or not."

Rukawa caught a pass from Miyagi and turned to face Tsuchiya, his fox-like demeanor serious.

"You won't win."

Exploding past Tsuchiya with unsurpassed athleticism, Rukawa closed the gap to the basket in the blink of an eye. In the next moment he was soaring through the air, laying in a gentle floater right over Hirai who had rotated over to help. A loud feminine cheer rose from the stands as the enlarged Rukawa Brigade started to come alive.

Rukawa shot Tsuchiya a disdainful look from over his shoulder, apparently displeased that someone had blatantly stated that they would give up challenging him one-on-one so early. "You're no opponent of mine."

Tsuchiya didn't acknowledge the comment.

Meanwhile Miyagi was continuing to pressure Matsumaru, opting to guard his former colleague full-court. However it seemed to little avail, as Matsumaru handled the ball deftly and safely guarded the possession without too much trouble.

"This isn't the street, Miyagi. And we aren't middle-schoolers anymore." Matsumaru used his body to protect the ball, scanning the floor while devoting part of his attention to the friendly trash-talking. "You still play wild, making those slick passes. Your team is not going to get too far with a point that thinks he's the best player on the team."

Miyagi narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean, punk?"

Matsumaru grin grew wider as he shook his head. "Giving orders like that doesn't suit you. Your game is—"

Matsumaru abruptly cut off the end of his sentence and shot a pass down low to Hirai, who was posting up on Hiroshi and succeeding. Once he was close enough to the rim, Hirai made a quick head-fake before turning off his pivot, moving his arms up for the shot.

"He's in too deep! Hiroshi, don't—" Mitsui shouted in warning, only to be interrupted by the whistle as Hiroshi fouled Akihiro. The ball bounced off the outer edge of the rim and rolled back out, preventing the three point play, much to Shohoku's relief.

"Damn, sorry," Hiroshi breathed, wiping his brow. The referee motioned that Daiei would be shooting free-throws again as the other players dispersed to their respective positions, while Hirai stepped to the free-throw line.

Ayako glanced towards Anzai, who nodded, reading her mind. She rose from the benches and walked to the scorer's table.

"Time out," she requested, straightening and glancing over her shoulder to watch the game while they readied the announcement. Hirai made his first free-throw and the scores clicked to 6-4.

"Time out, Shohoku!"

As the teams left the court, Sakuragi continually slapped Hiroshi on the back to cheer him up. Anzai had his chess pieces out again, but didn't seem to be particularly focused on the clipboard as he faced his players, the benchwarmers also gathering around. The entire Shohoku team muttered amongst each other as Anzai seemed to run ideas through his head, burning precious seconds before finally speaking.

"Firstly, I'm subbing Mitsui-kun for Kuwata-kun," the coach announced, the starters falling silent. Mitsui nodded wordlessly as Kuwata took off his warm-up clothes, stretching in the huddle to get his blood moving. Miyagi, on the other hand, carried a disappointed frown as Anzai continued to speak.

"Go out playing 2-3 zone. Daiei High is playing slow, methodical half-court offense, as you have all noticed."

_That was it,_ Miyagi silently noted, his earlier suspicions now confirmed. _Biding their time, taking utmost protection of the ball and offensive opportunities… it makes sense._

The referee whistled, signaling the end of the timeout. Ayako sighed, feeling that the timeout had passed far too quickly. As the teams went back out onto the court, Sakuragi looked thoroughly confused and pulled Hiroshi aside.

"Hiro, what's a zone?"

"Oh," Hiroshi smiled, having forgotten that Sakuragi didn't know much basketball terminology. Hiroshi paused, wiping off some sweat from his face before tossing the towel towards the benches. The two strode for their respective places under the basket to wait out Hirai's last foul shot.

"It's a set type of defense… er, basically," Hiroshi pointed towards the bottom of the basket and waved his hand around, as if encompassing the entire area within his reach. "Man-to-man defense is where everyone guards an assigned person, right? But in zone defense, we're not assigned people to guard exactly, but we have our own 'zones' on the court to take care of. 2-3 zone means two people will play near the top of the key, and that is their 'zone' to take care of. The other three players will guard the areas here, closer to the basket, since that will be their 'zone.'"

When Sakuragi just stared blankly at the rookie as the referee passed the ball off to Hirai for his free-throw, Hiroshi waved his hand nonchalantly.

"Don't worry too much about it. Just guard your guy normally and help us out when someone gets beat off the dribble. You don't wander out of your position often, anyway."

The second free-throw glanced off the rim, punctuating Hiroshi's advice. Though he had been listening intently just a second earlier, Sakuragi was instantly in the air, snagging the defensive rebound before passing it off to Miyagi.

"Go, Shohoku!" Mitsui clapped from the bench, a towel hanging over his shoulder as the offense set up. Ayako smiled to herself as she continued to keep track of the players' statistics in a notebook, pleased to see that Mitsui was taking the benching in stride.

"Rukawa!" Miyagi shot a bounce pass to a streaking Rukawa, who was zipping straight for the basket. Tsuchiya and two other Daiei players converged on Rukawa, leaving their assignments to guard the ace from attacking. Without so much as a glance, Rukawa flipped the ball upwards. A blur of red soared into the air, catching the alley-oop and capping it off with a thunderous one-handed slam.

"Holy… Sakuragi!" The Sakuragi Army burst into cheers from the stands. Sakuragi pumped his fist in the air, still hanging onto the rim.

"Hahaha! This Tensai is—"

The referee's whistle interrupted him, and with a quick motion, the man formed a T.

"Techinical foul, #10!"

"…I got excited to soon," Mitsui said dryly, sitting back down on the bench. Ayako simply heaved an exasperated sigh.

"Technical foul? What?" Sakuragi dropped back to the floor as Tsuchiya walked over to the other side of the court to shoot the technical foul shot.

_Dr. T: Technical fouls are assessed based on unsportsmanlike behavior. Hanging on the rim for any reasons other than avoiding a landing on another player in the vicinity is considered taunting._

"_But I didn't taunt!"_

_Dr. T: I don't make the rules, Sakuragi._

"Damnit…" Sakuragi frowned as Tsuchiya made the technical shot, bringing the scores to 7-6, Daiei lead. Rukawa shrugged helplessly and sighed.

"Some people still play like rookies, after all…"

"What'd you say, fox?" Sakuragi whirled around, ready to attack the other second-year only to see Rukawa wandering off without a care.

"Daiei possession!" The referee passed the ball off to Toshiya,, who inbounded to Matsumaru. Miyagi half-heartedly defended him full-court, knowing that Matsumaru wouldn't turn the ball over easily but finding himself unable to just let the other point guard roam freely. Meanwhile Rukawa was again forced to chase Tsuchiya through multiple screens, the two aces weaving through the other players.

"2-3 zone!" Hirai barked out as Hiroshi kept his fingers on the back of the other power forward's jersey, making sure he wouldn't run off. "Make them pay, Toshiya!"

"Stop shouting," the sickly shooting guard muttered, the ball finding its way to his hands. Kuwata held his arms out, trying to make himself bigger due to the size disadvantage. Toshiya sighed, coughed—and in the next moment, lifted into the air and shot a long jumper. The ball settled softly into the net, bumping the scores to 9-6.

"2-3 zone? It's nothing against good shooting," Toshiya yawned, shuffling weakly to the other side of the court. Kuwata hung his head, disappointed that his opponent had scored so easily.

Just as Miyagi took the inbounds pass from Sakuragi, a voice broke into the captain's thoughts.

"Hey."

Miyagi glanced up to see Rukawa, covered by a sheen of sweat from chasing Tsuchiya around. The tall forward didn't face Miyagi as he spoke, staring off at the Daiei defense on the other side of the court.

"Give me the ball."


	57. Chapter 56

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating this wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Chapter 56 – Domination**

"Sendoh! Hey!"

"Hm?" The spiky haired talent looked up from his spot in the locker room, a lemon slice between his lips. The Ryonan team had arrived minutes earlier and were lounging around, the coach giving them some time to unwind before they would do warm-ups during the Shohoku-Daiei halftime. Hikoichi was pale and sweating, his breaths quick. It was obvious he had rushed back to the lockers at full speed.

"…You…. You better take a look at the game!" Hikoichi waved wildly towards the corridor that led out to the Shohoku-Daiei match. "I can't believe what I'm seeing…"

Sendoh stared at Hikoichi blankly, sucking on the lemon slice and enjoying the sour taste that was permeating through his mouth. After a few seconds, he rose and nodded, sliding the slice out from between his lips and tossing it into the nearby trash.

"Guys, I'm going out real fast," Sendoh said over his shoulder, giving his other teammates a wave as Hikoichi rushed back out. Fukuda, who had been tossing a ball between his hands, abruptly slammed it against the wall. The thudding echo was all that remained as the locker instantly quieted. Sendoh stared at Fukuda expectantly, the power forward catching the ball and seemingly oblivious to the confused stares he was getting from his teammates.

"Be sure to tell us what you see."

"No problem," Sendoh answered briskly before stepping out into the hallway, not bothering to say any more. Hikoichi was already waiting at the entrance into half-court as Sendoh fiddled with another lemon slice between his fingers.

_Fukuda… are you still worried?_ Sendoh's steps slowed as he thought carefully on how to speak with his teammate. Though Sendoh had recorded a triple-double in their opener and everyone else played well, Fukuda had wilted under the pressure. Knowing that Fukuda needed regular boosts to his ego, the game had a particularly hard effect on the other third-year because his first showing at the Inter-Highs wasn't what he thought it should be. While Taoka, their coach, knew that Fukuda's confidence was directly correlated with his performance on the court, these off-the-court moments and how they were to be handled fell solely into Sendoh's responsibility.

_Maybe the first play should be for Fukuda,_ Sendoh considered, thinking of their upcoming game as he finally joined Hikoichi's side. _If Fukuda plays well, and Takuma continues his development… we're still the best frontcourt of Kanagawa. Wouldn't you think so, Uozumi-senpai?_

Sendoh smiled to himself, about to place the new lemon slice between his lips before he froze, momentarily impressed by the sight that greeted him. A yell reached his ears and the thud of a hand against rim reverberated in the buzzing stadium. Rukuwa landed over the fallen Hirai, giving the power forward a blank look while the referee indicated that the basket counted and Rukawa would be shooting a free-throw.

"Rukawa… is so scary…" Hikoichi whispered, partly in awe. Sendoh looked up to the scoreboard and saw the scores were already 18-9, now Shohoku's lead.

"Hm." Sendoh shrugged, sliding the lemon slice between his lips and biting into the citrus-flesh, his expression unchanging. _No surprise. That quiet guy is always playing like—_

Another shout broke into Sendoh's thoughts. Rukawa's free-throw had rimmed out, but as soon as it did, he had once again taken a running start and jammed the ball back into the basket, beating even Sakuragi to the offensive rebound. The arena was now in an uproar as Rukawa fell back to Earth, shooting the Daiei High bench a look before he ran back onto defense. Tsuchiya, meanwhile, trailed after him without a word. 20-9.

"That kid… Rukawa, is it?"

"Didn't he just play against Sawakita? Where'd he find the energy to still play so incredibly?"

"He's made Shohoku's past 14 points! Can anyone stop him?"

Sendoh's eyes narrowed as he watched Rukawa guard Tsuchiya, racing past double-screens and dodging the human obstructions in his way. Hikoichi looked up at his idol, the "Basketball Genius" slowly taking the lemon slice back out of his mouth. His jaw was set seriously, none of the playful mirth in his eyes anymore.

"After… after that game against Sannoh, Rukawa must be trying to prove something, right?" Hikoichi babbled. Sendoh didn't say a word, instead watching Tsuchiya curl hard off a screen, leaving Rukawa a step behind as Daiei High's ace caught a pass from Matsumaru. With a quick flick of the wrist the ball met the bottom of the net, finally stopping Shohoku's one-man run.

After another second of analysis, Sendoh merely shrugged and turned back to the lockers, again nibbling on his lemon. Hikoichi chased after him. Sendoh looked visibly relaxed—perhaps that serious look that Hikoichi had just saw was a trick of the poor lighting in the corridor.

"Sendoh…?"

"It'll be fine," Sendoh smiled, not slowing down a bit. "Don't get so worried. You're on Ryonan, remember?"

While Hikoichi enthusiastically agreed, Sendoh's visage slowly grew solemn, his expression hidden under the dim lights.

_…Not good that they got Sannoh in the first round. Not good at all._

* * *

"Ah! And one!" Miyagi shouted to catch the attention of the refs. He had just gotten a chance at a reverse layup, but instead of an open path as he had thought, he was now getting mauled by Daiei players. The whistle shrieked, stopping play as Miyagi's shot attempt just barely rimmed out of the basket.

"Shooting foul, white #12!"

Ken stared at the referee blankly, not pleased at the call. Tsuchiya walked over to his team's center and patted him on the back in consoluation.

"Good try, Ken-san."

"Yep, oya-bun," Ken muttered, backing down. Miyagi plodded to the free-throw line, ready to take his two shots. Haruko, along with the rest of the group in the stands, looked nervous as the referee tossed the ball off to Miyagi.

"Very intense," Youhei noted shortly, watching the Shohoku players gasp in exhaustion. Rukawa was doubled over, not even looking up as Miyagi shot his first free-throw, making it with a swish. The scoreboard clicked to 21-11, and Noma nodded in agreement with Youhei's observation.

"Although…" Kogure trailed off, finding himself unable to voice his concern. The rest of the group was too immersed in the game, to the point that Nori had his Mitsui flag sitting in the aisle rather than in his hands.

Miyagi brushed off his sweaty brow with the back of his wrist, his wristbands soaking up the moisture. Hiroshi and Kuwata were standing in the back-court, prepared to stop any potential fast-breaks. However, Hiroshi seemed out of it, his eyes glazing over every few seconds in fatigue, his pants slow and measured.

"Whew," Miyagi breathed as his next free-throw went in too, the scoreboards now switching to 22-11. He raced backwards, no longer bothering to guard Matsumaru in a full-court setting. Mitsui studied the players on the floor silently, a brooding air surrounding him. Ayako shot him a concerned glance, one that he didn't notice.

_They run an interesting offense…_ Mitsui thought as he followed the path of the ball moving around the perimeter. _Tsuchiya and Toshiya are a very strong one-two scoring combo, yet the focus seems to primarily be on Toshiya rather than Tsuchiya. Why would the ace of the team get the ball less than the vice-captain?_

"Toshiya!" Matsumaru called, shooting a one-handed pass to the sickly guard on the left block. Toshiya quickly posted up on the much-shorter Kuwata, faking a spin left with a quick jerk of the back. Kuwata fell for it, his mind distracted. Toshiya instead whirled right, cutting down the baseline and spinning the ball up and under in a reverse-layup before Sakuragi could rotate over, making the scores 22-13.

Miyagi shot Hiroshi a look, ignoring Toshiya slapping hands with his teammates. Kuwata took the ball out to inbound while Hiroshi just shook his head.

"The guy can post up too," Hiroshi stated, not that he really needed to.

"Great," Miyagi said dryly, taking the inbounds pass from Kuwata. The Shohoku players ran down to offense as Miyagi held up his hand, calling out a play.

_Matsumaru's strong point was always his play-making…_ Miyagi reflected as he glanced over at Rukawa, who was under intense defensive pressure. He exploited our size-disadvantage instantly._ However, there was still something he could never beat me at…_

Miyagi's eyes flitted over to a spot on the course, conveying interest at something unseen. Matsumaru noticed this just as he had taken a step forward, ready to guard Miyagi. Matsumaru's own gaze followed his opponent's, just long enough for Miyagi to zip past him. Matsumaru had been fooled and now could not get back to guard Miyagi due to his speed. The Shohoku captain leapt into the air and shoveled an underhand pass straight to Sakuragi, who was playing a bit farther from the post on this possession. As soon as he caught the ball, Sakuragi leapt into the air and shot the jump shot.

"Short!" Sakuragi yelled as soon as the ball left his hand, Ken already boxing him out so the redhead couldn't take the offensive rebound. A blur raced in from the opposite side of the basket, and before the Daiei High defense could keep up, Rukawa had snagged the rebound. Without even returning to the floor, the ace spun in mid-air and swung the ball over his head, copying Toshiya's reverse layup and banking the shot in.

A loud cheer from the Rukawa Brigade rang throughout the stadium as Rukawa landed, stumbled, and caught his balance by reaching out and grabbing Kuwata by the shoulder.

"Senpai, are you okay?" Kuwata asked in worry, still somewhat in awe of the shot that Rukawa had just made. Rukawa straightened and gave Kuwata an ambiguous nod before stepping away and jogging back onto defense.

"Amazing!" The crowd murmured amongst themselves. Matsumaru shook his head in disbelief as Toshiya coughed and motioned for a time-out. The referee granted the request and both teams shuffled to their respective benches, Miyagi bumping fists with Rukawa in congratulations en route.

"Great job, guys!" Ayako shouted in encouragement, standing from her seat as the other Shohoku players on the bench joined her. However, the atmosphere from the five players wasn't celebratory. They all collapsed into their seats, grabbing for the Pocari Sweat and towels. Anzai hovered over them and Ayako, along with the other players, quickly quieted.

"Hey… what's wrong?" Ayako asked, the five players not saying a word. Even Sakuragi, who was usually talkative, and Miyagi, who would never fail to pay attention to her, were strangely solemn.

"Let them be," Anzai said as Sakuragi downed a bottle of Pocari Sweat and heaved it aside, reaching for another. "The situation is not good for us right now."

"We're up by 11 though, and—"

"Rukawa."

Rukawa looked towards Miyagi, who was gazing at him intently.

"Better conserve your energy," Miyagi muttered, sipping his drink slowly. Ayako looked between the players in confusion, not quite understanding.

Hiroshi spoke up, a towel hanging in front of his vision.

"Rukawa-senpai, I can switch off with you."

"What?" The other players all focused their attention on the lanky power forward. Rukawa gave the rookie a blank stare before he shook his head in response.

"…Well, just let me know," Hiroshi sighed. Sakuragi wiped his face with a towel and reached for another Pocari Sweat, having polished off two more bottles during the conversation.

"Hey, can someone tell me what's going on?" Ayako held her hands out, utterly at a loss. Mitsui was the one to answer her, a bitter, self-mocking smile on his face.

"Isn't it obvious? We're all dead tired."

It clicked with Ayako a second later.

"…Don't tell me…"

"It might be true," Miyagi sighed, adding to Mitsui's correct assessment. "If things get worse, we may just end up repeating the Aiwa match last year."

A gloomy atmosphere settled upon the bench after Miyagi's statement, the loss still fresh in everyone's minds. Aside from Sakuragi's absence, a huge reason that Shohoku had lost to Aiwa was not only due to their lack of manpower—but also insurmountable fatigue.

Before anyone could break the grim silence, the referee motioned that the timeout was up. The Shohoku players quickly retook the floor, trying to pump themselves up in whatever way they could.

Mitsui decided to provide some commentary to the others when Matsumaru inbounded the ball to start the game again.

"Tsuchiya's greatest strengths are his mid-range jumpers and amazing endurance… do you see how he drags Rukawa around the court?" Mitsui pointed to the pair discreetly. Ayako and the Shohoku benchwarmers watched as Tsuchiya curled around screens, never stopping for a second on offense. Ayako nodded in wonder, now beginning to see what Mitsui meant.

"Due to his very accurate shooting, he must be guarded at all costs… but as you can see, Tsuchiya is excellent at moving without the ball even against a zone. Even though Rukawa should be guarding his own zone, because of Tsuchiya, Rukawa is forced to chase him the entire time. It's a very intelligent offensive system—their slow but careful half-court offense helps them cut down turnovers while they wear out the opposing team, always leaving them with the best possible shot."

"So does the zone defense really do anything?" Ayako asked, curious. Mitsui pondered the question over in his mind before shrugging.

"Sensei has his reasons for telling us to do this. I have ideas… but in the end, it might be because Kuwata is in the game."

"Screen right!" Miyagi barked out to Rukawa, the second-year crashing into Hirai before the warning reached him. Now open, Tsuchiya was able to easily secure a pass. With another quick flick of the wrist, Shohoku's lead was cut to single digits, 24-15. Rukawa picked himself up off the floor, unhurt.

"We have the lead… but is this our limit?" Ayako muttered, the tribulations of the Shohoku team now clear to her. In response, Anzai rose from his seat and pointed at Yasuda.

"Yasuda-kun, switch in for Miyagi."

"Uh… yes!" Yasuda quickly raced to the scorer's table, tearing off his warm-ups and requesting the substitution.

Meanwhile, Miyagi handled the ball upcourt, his own legs burning. Again he saw Rukawa motioning for the ball, the earlier request by their ace still fresh in his mind.

_"_**_Give me the ball."_ **

_Rukawa… is it wise to keep doing this when you're so tired?_ Miyagi weighed the decision in his mind, crossing over Matsumaru and racing for the basket, noticing Daiei's defense ready to collapse on him as he cut down the center.

_Akagi… how much do you trust your teammate's pride?_

_"**Give me the ball."**_

_When do you know it's detrimental to the team?_

_"**Give me the ball."**_

_When do you know you made the right decision as captain?_

"Ryo-chin!"

Snapped out of his thoughts, Miyagi shot the ball instinctively between two defenders. Sakuragi caught the ball, having been left completely open because everyone was focusing on Rukawa.

"Great pass, Miyagi!" Mitsui shouted. Sakuragi saw Tsuchiya racing for him, and so without a word, Sakuragi dropped a bounce-pass down. His target moved in a blur as everyone realized that Tsuchiya had, due to a lapse of judgment, left Rukawa wide open. The ace caught the ball and leapt into the air, his body straining backwards before he threw down a tomahawk dunk.

"Rukawa! 20 points in the half!" the stands cheered. Haruko's hands went to her mouth, completely in awe. The Sakuragi Army rose to their feet too, Youhei pumping his fist.

"Yeah! You guys can win this!"

"Just returning the favor, fox," Sakuragi muttered under his breath, in reference to Shohoku's first play of the game. Rukawa didn't answer as Miyagi continued to shout out orders on defense.

"Remember, 2-3 zone guys! Kuwata, join me up here! Space the floor!"

Daiei once again ran down the shot clock, the 30 seconds ticking down as the time left in the half, 9:58, clicked down along with it. With 10 seconds left, Matsumaru made his move, trying to cross over Miyagi the same way the other guard had done seconds earlier. However, Miyagi read it and poked the ball between Matsumaru's legs. Matsumaru recovered quickly, catching the ball before it could roll away and shot a pass to Toshiya, who in turn swung it down to Hirai.

"Hiro! Show them your defense!" the Sakuragi Army shouted in unison. Hiroshi held Hirai out of the post with one arm, his other up and ready to block off any passes. Hirai faked a pass before backing in once, twice… and then tripped and fell backwards.

"Travel, white #8! Shohoku ball!" the referee announced. Hiroshi helped Hirai up, displaying his typical good sportsmanship. Rukawa went to inbound, but not before giving the rookie a single nod.

"Is Rukawa congratulating Hiroshi? That other guy just tripped on his own, didn't he?" Noma wondered aloud, stroking his moustache. Kogure shook his head.

"No, that was actually a smart defensive play. He pulled the chair on him."

"'Pulled the chair?'" the Sakuragi Army looked at Kogure in confusion. Kogure adjusted his glasses, offering an explanation for his terminology.

"It's a risky move to pull and needs very good timing," Kogure replied. "Hiroshi tricked Hirai into tripping by testing how much he was forcing his way in. For example… if you were playing tug of war with someone and you were both pulling with all your might, and your opponent suddenly lets go, what happens?"

"You fall backwards," Youhei said, now understanding. Kogure nodded.

"Yes. Hiroshi basically used Hirai's own momentum and strength against him… but it's risky because you have to back off at the right time. If Hiroshi had mistimed it or misjudged how much Hirai was on forcing his way in, Hirai would have enough space to just shoot the ball or gain enough ground to take the ball into the basket."

"Hm… that Hiro is always full of unexpected tricks…" Ookusu mumbled, a hand to his chin as he mulled it over. Just as the words left his mouth, there was a cry from the floor. The group of Shohoku supporters soon realized that Rukawa's pass has apparently gone awry, with Toshiya having raced in to steal the inbounds from behind Miyagi. Toshiya instantly pushed the ball towards the basket. Hiroshi was quick to rotate over and act as an obstruction. Toshiya plowed straight into the power-forward, ignoring Hiroshi's height as he laid the ball gently up, grazing the backboard and bouncing the ball in. The shriek of the whistle coincided with Hiroshi's body thumping to the floor, Miyagi now racing over in concern.

"Blocking foul, red #13! Basket counts!"'

"Shit!" Mitsui shouted in disapproval from the benches, slapping his hands together in distaste. Realizing that Anzai and the other Shohoku players had heard him, he gave his basketball coach a sheepish grin and coughed dryly.

"Sorry, he was too quick," Hiroshi said, pushing himself up. "I didn't establish position."

"Don't worry about it," Miyagi consoled, waving off the apology. "It's not a big deal."

"Rookie mistake," Toshiya wheezed from nearby, brushing his unruly hair back. "Chances of drawing a charge in those situations are slim to none, especially since I was already so close to the rim and you were on the opposite side. It would be better off not giving me the chance at a three-point play at all, like you just did."

"Hey!" Sakuragi stepped up and shot an irritated glare at Toshiya, ready to defend his underclassman. "Let me tell you where to put your advice—"

"Easy, Sakuragi!" Kuwata raced over to soothe the redhead before he got a technical. Toshiya returned Sakuragi's glare with a dismissive yawn, sweeping his arms out in annoyance.

"Ah! I'm so bored playing you guys! Coach!" Toshiya waved towards the Daiei bench and pointed to himself. "Sub me out!"

"YOU BASTARD!" Sakuragi was about to give the sickly forward a piece of his mind before Miyagi and Hiroshi joined Kuwata in holding him back. The redhead was still strong enough to take a few steps towards Toshiya with the three hanging off him, resulting in the Sakuragi Army standing up from their seats in alarm.

"Hanamichi, you dumbass! Don't get kicked out!" Youhei shouted, Haruko looking just as worried as the others.

"Calm down, you idiot! He's doing it on purpose!" Miyagi yelled, yanking on Sakuragi's arm to try and tug the center away.

Rukawa didn't offer an opinion at all. Instead he continued to catch his breath, having not moved since making the faulty inbounds pass.

"Okay, break it up!" A referee got between the players. Toshiya shivered from some unknown source of cold, coughing a few more times. "Do this again and you guys both get technicals. Now get to your positions at the free-throw line."

"Ken, stand right there," Tsuchiya instructed, pointing towards the closest spot near the basket. The Mohawk-sporting center growled an agreement and moved over while Toshiya obediently went to the free-throw line. Without glancing at the rim at all, he shot and made the free-throw, making the scores 26-18.

"Substitutions, Daiei High and Shohoku High!" the scorer's table announced. Ayako blinked, surprised to see Toshiya moving off the court in a coughing fit, just as he had requested.

"Wait, they're seriously subbing off their starter just because that guy is _bored_?"

Miyagi moved towards the benches, bumping fists with Yasuda as he got ready for a well-deserved rest.

"Don't bite on Matsumaru's fakes, his jumper is worse than mine," Miyagi advised, Yasuda nodding as he took the floor.

Sakuragi, seemingly calmer now, greeted Yasuda with a headlock. Hiroshi traded places with Rukawa for the inbounds.

"Wait up! My shoes my shoes my shoes!"

The other players watched, some in amusement, some in stunned silence as the Daiei High substitute stumbled onto the floor, tugging on his black basketball shoes. His dark hair was cut in a professional crew cut, but he looked anything but professional. He waved to the other Daiei High players in mid-hop and stumbled, falling flat on his face.

"That's gotta hurt," Youhei frowned, the Sakuragi Army and Haruko seemingly just as confused by the substitution as the other Shohoku referee's whistle shrieked and Hiroshi handed the ball off to Yasuda, the two not paying the new player as much attention as the others.

"Mind giving us a stat on that guy, Aya-chan?" Miyagi asked as he settled in next to Mitsui at the benches, rubbing sweat off his face. Ayako squinted to make out the newcomer's jersey number.

"Let's see… #6…" She traced down the rosters with a finger. "Sorimachi Hiromu, 2nd year… 180 cm, 65 kg."

"Hm… they gave up even more size…" Mitsui noted. Miyagi nodded in agreement before he took a swig of Pocari Sweat. Ayako cried out in surprise, the Shohoku bench now turning their attention to her.

"What's wrong?" Mitsui asked.

"His point averages for the season, as well as in the Nationals, is higher than Toshiya!"

"WHAT?"

"Um… shouldn't someone get that guy up?" Hiroshi wondered aloud, pressing against Hirai as Yasuda began his own careful execution of the offense, something that had gained him credibility in last year's Toyotama game. Hirai laughed, not minding that Sorimachi was just now pushing himself back up again, seemingly disoriented.

"I guess you guys don't know who he is…" Hirai chuckled. Sorimachi scratched his head, looked around uncertainly, and finally realized that he was supposed to be guarding Kuwata.

"That's Sorimachi Hiromu, the Sixth Man of Daiei High."


	58. Chapter 57

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

Reviews:

Aya-chan – Yeah, I love those type of characters in Slam Dunk too! Though guys like Rukawa are also very cool… oh, I think they're all great.

Seak- As far as I know, Inoue is too busy with Vagabond and REAL to be working on another manga series. Not to mention that with news as big as that, I'm sure there'd be an official announcement about a sequel to Slam Dunk or at least some sort of actual evidence to suggest something like that. So yeah, those rumors are probably just that: rumors.

Thanks for the review, and I'm glad you like the story.

Kitty Yannie – Sakuragi is just an athletic monster, as others in the original manga has stated: he's never been tired or can really be stopped by anything or anyone, barring injuries or other complications. His conditioning is definitely on another level than most people.

School is certainly most important! I hope you're doing okay in it, and it's nice to hear from you!

Den077- I probably won't write the Ryonan match fully, but I'll at least give out a final score or the results of the match. The Kanagawa representatives need to be looked out for, after all.

Sannoh's already eliminated from the Inter-Highs, and as to whether Ryonan will meet Shohoku again in the Nationals… who knows? One or the other might lose before that, if they're not careful...

Thanks for the review! I appreciate it.

* * *

**Chapter 58 – The Sparkplug**

"A sixth man…"

Yayoi scribbled notes on her clipboard as she watched the game progress, every once in a while checking her watch. The Shohoku-Daiei match was only one of the many that she had to visit that day, and by halftime, she knew she had to depart for one of the other games. Like many, she had been shocked at Shohoku taking down Sannoh for the second straight year, and had already sent her article in for the publishers.

…_Will Shohoku lose their chance again?_ she thought silently, remembering the team's smiling faces when they had taken the magazine picture after toppling championship Sannoh. She also remembered that it never appeared for the public, after Shohoku failed to do anything against Aiwa.

"But there's also Ryonan to watch this year… and…" Yayoi blushed a deep shade of crimson and swooned in her seat, thinking of Sendoh's disarming smile. However, she was instantly shaken from her daydream when a roar from the audience brought her attention back to the court to see Rukawa already in the midst of a double-team courtesy of Matsumaru and Tsuchiya.

"Doubling early… they know that Rukawa is far and beyond typical competition…" Miyagi muttered, still catching his breath on the bench. Rukawa looked at the two defenders with faint annoyance, the ball now in his hands after Yasuda had given it up to him.

"Fox! Don't be stupid!" Sakuragi called from under the basket. Rukawa ignored the comment, bringing the ball down before faking right, jabbing a foot forward. As soon as Matsumaru flinched, Rukawa swung on his pivot foot and burst ahead, tossing the ball between the two defenders and splitting right through the double-team.

"Switch! Ken!" Tsuchiya called, bringing the thug-like center to his senses as he rotated off Sakuragi. Akihiro likewise left Hiroshi as Rukawa shot straight through the middle, drawing a crowd of four as the majority of the Daiei High team collapsed on him.

Mitsui looked as nonchalant as Miyagi, not bothered by the change of circumstances as Rukawa leapt into the air, the ball cradled close to his body.

"The only thing that they seem to forget is that Rukawa doesn't just know how to attack."

As the mass of bodies closed in, Rukawa fired a pass under the outstretched arms, straight towards a streaking Hiroshi. Hiroshi caught the ball and quickly laid the ball off the backboard, extending Shohoku's lead as the crowd again fell silent.

"Nice pass!" Kogure shouted from the stands, Rukawa's expression unchanging as he jogged downcourt. Tsuchiya inbounded the ball, his own expression also unreadable.

"It's pretty clear the difference between the other players and Rukawa…" Youhei said, reclining in his seat. "That Daiei High may have great players… but none of them can even really compare to that guy."

Haruko nodded slowly, still absorbing the last play.

"Watch the mismatch!" Ayako called from the bench, albeit a bit late, as Mastumaru's first move was to pass the ball off to Hiromu. Hiromu caught the ball and fumbled it, looking completely lost. Kuwata pressed closer and Hiromu looked at him uncertainly, holding the ball a bit of ways away from his body. Rukawa, chasing Tsuchiya at that moment, saw the opportunity and quickly lashed out in mid-jog, slapping the ball from Hiromu's hands and stealing the ball.

"…er, never mind…" Ayako trailed off as Rukawa seized possession, racing downcourt as Shohoku's fastbreak beat the opposition to the basket. Rukawa faked a quick pass to Hiroshi before dumping it off to Sakuragi.

"Good choice, fox!" Sakuragi yelled, going for the layup. However, a shadow appeared behind him, and with a thundering smack, the layup attempt was blocked against the backboard.

"What?!" Sakuragi turned to see who blocked him, only for Rukawa to grab the missed attempt from out of mid-air and try to lay it back in before he landed. It came off a bit too fast, swirling around the rim before falling out, but Rukawa exploded back into the air, tipping his miss back in before he lost the chance. A deafening cheer rang from the Rukawa Brigade as the scores clicked to 30-18, Shohoku lead.

"Fox! You bastard! And…" Sakuragi's gaze swung around and settled on Hiroshi, who was already pointing to the culprit for his teammate.

"…Pineapple-Head!"

"Hm?" Ken glanced at the seething Sakuragi, the only Daiei High player close enough to have made the play. "What do you need?"

"Don't block my shot!"

"Okay," Ken agreed, resulting in the face-fault of Hiroshi and the Daiei High bench that was right next to them.

"That was way too polite! And don't agree with the opposition!" The Daiei High bench shouted at Ken, who didn't seem to care at all.

"Ken, don't listen to him. Block his shots," Tsuchiya advised from behind, taking the ball to inbound it.

"…Yep, oya-bun," Ken growled in agreement, just as quickly.

"Who are you really listening to?!" The Daiei High bench groaned as Matsumaru caught the inbounds and just shook his head, looking well-used to his team's antics. Hiroshi sighed sympathetically and jogged back onto defense, leaving Sakuragi to start picking on Rukawa.

"Bastard fox! I could have rebounded that!"

"I didn't expect you to make it," Rukawa shrugged, resulting in Sakuragi to only grow more enraged.

"You underestimate this Tensai?!"

"The more I underestimate you, the less mistakes we'll make," Rukawa said before rotating off to guard Tsuchiya.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?! Bastard fox!"

"Guard your man, Sakuragi!" Miyagi shouted from the bench before settling back in his seat, visibly anxious. He took a swig of Pocari Sweat and glanced at Mitsui, who looked strangely pensive.

"What's wrong, man?"

"Huh?" Mitsui turned to his friend and blinked. "Oh, I was just watching that Hiromu guy. He doesn't seem particularly athletic or even mentally in the game… I was just confused as to why they'd sub him in."

"Aya-chan did say he has a higher point average than Toshiya… and they seem to be giving him the ball," Miyagi stated, just as Matsumaru passed the ball right back to the person in question. Hiromu again posted up on Kuwata, still looking indecisive.

"Is this an isolation play for me?" Hiromu asked uncertainly, not getting an answer because everyone was already on the other side of the basket. Realizing that it was, he swung on his pivot foot and faced Kuwata, faking a dribble forward before taking a step back. The whistle instantly shrieked, halting play.

"Traveling, #6!"

"Good job, Kuwata!" the Shohoku bench shouted in encouragement, though Kuwata himself also looked unsure if he had intimated the much taller shooting guard in any way.

"Ha ha! Forgot I can't drag the pivot foot!" Hiromu laughed easily when he got onto defense, resulting in a pat on the shoulder from Tsuchiya.

"Don't think too much, just play your game."

"Right… so many things to remember…" Hiromu noted, jogging off to guard Kuwata as Yasuda directed the offense for Shohoku. Once people were in place, Yasuda again passed it off to Rukawa, only for a triple-team to meet the ace this time.

"Whoa! Daiei High's really marking him!" The audience observed as Rukawa quickly searched for the open player. Spying Sakuragi frantically pointing to himself, Rukawa leapt into the air and shot an overhead pass to the center, who was wide-open under the basket. However, an arm slapped the ball out of mid-flight as a Daiei High player cut through the pass, instantly starting a fast-break.

"Damnit," Hiroshi breathed as he reacted quickly, the first of the Shohoku players running back to catch up. He managed to get ahead of the player and turned to see Hiromu handling the ball, none of the other players close to catching up with the two.

"1 on 1… let's see what that Sixth Man has…" Yayoi mumbled, ready to jot notes as Hiromu dribbled straight towards Hiroshi.

"Hiroshi! You have two fouls! Careful!" Ayako shouted from the bench, though it didn't seem to affect Hiroshi as he stood his ground. Hiromu abruptly stopped his dribble and lifted into the air, Hiroshi following up and blocking his vision. With a crafty swing of the arm, Hiromu brought the ball to his body and twisted to his side for a better angle, scooping it under Hiroshi's arm and gently laying it up. The ball fell softly though the basket and made the scores 30-20.

"Nice shot, Hiromu!" The Daiei High bench shouted. The shooting guard landed and knocked the ball to the referee before dashing back onto defense, leaving Hiroshi behind.

_That sort of finish around the basket… _Hiroshi thought, brushing sweat from his brow as he took the ball from the referee and inbounded to Yasuda. _He's more than he appears…_

"Okay! Everyone, play calmly!" Yasuda shouted, holding up his free hand and signaling an isolation play for Rukawa. As soon as Rukawa saw it, he shot a glance towards Tsuchiya, who was observing him closely. With a click of the tongue, Rukawa raced towards the basket and behind Sakuragi, copying Tsuchiya's off-the-ball movements as he freed himself from the defense long enough to catch the ball. As soon as he turned, he immediately saw the triple-team already closing in on him. Opting to not risk it, Rukawa bounced the ball back to Yasuda and placed his hands on his knees, catching his breath as the defenders lagged off him and left him alone with Tsuchiya again.

"What next? Sending the entire team after him?" Ayako sighed, tapping her pen against her stats sheet. Mitsui shrugged half-heartedly, now thoroughly relaxed after having spent most of the half with his fouls and unable to rejoin the game without Anzai's approval.

"Just goes to show they're scared of him."

"They're trying it again!" The crowd noticed, as Yasuda again ran a play for Rukawa. Rukawa caught the ball, and without hesitation, spun and shot a turnaround before the triple-team could collapse on him. The shot came up short and Ken boxed out Sakuragi for the rebound.

"Nice job, Ken!" Tsuchiya complimented as the intimidating center dropped the ball off to Matsumaru. A rare fast-break occurred for the normally slow-paced team as Daiei High's players raced downcourt, catching some of the Shohoku players off-guard with their abrupt change of pace. Hiroshi and Rukawa were the first ones back on defense, with the other three just a step behind as Matsumaru fired a pass to Hiromu. Hiromu cut straight for the basket from the side, going down the baseline as Rukawa and Hiroshi both rotated over to block him off, forcing him to either go around them or go out of bounds.

"They've got him pinned! Nice defense!" Noma shouted as the Sakuragi Army watched in anticipation. Hiromu's gaze swung to his side, and finding no one to pass to and Sakuragi quickly closing in, he leapt sideways into the air… and bumped right into Hiroshi, trying to curl around the power forward as his body actually floated out of bounds in mid-flight.

"What the…" Miyagi watched in awe as Hiromu brought his arm _under_ the backboard and blindly banked it in, dodging Rukawa and Hiroshi simultaneously. The crowd was completely stunned as the scoreboards clicked to 30-22, Hiromu landing and stumbling out of bounds, barely catching his balance.

"Was… was that even possible?" Mitsui wondered aloud, the rest of the Shohoku bench just as awestruck. Ayako simply stared at the scene with her mouth slightly open, not even counting the two points in her stats sheet yet as the Shohoku players just looked at each other on the court.

"…Rukawa-senpai…" Hiroshi gasped, still trying to catch his breath from running. "Did he just…"

"Tough shot," Rukawa stated blandly. If he had been impressed by the finish, he didn't show it as he jogged back onto offense without another word. Kuwata inbounded the ball to Yasuda, who turned to meet a full court press.

"Yasuda! Run!" Miyagi shouted from the benches as Yasuda frantically looked around, finally shooting a pass back to Kuwata. However, Kuwata was likewise trapped in the backcourt, with precious seconds ticking away as three Daiei High players marked the two.

"Throw it! I'll catch it!" Sakuragi yelled, racing out of the key and out to the half-court line. Kuwata followed the redhead's instructions, and Sakuragi out-leaped the other Daiei High players to save the pass. Sakuragi turned and fired a bullet pass to Hiroshi, who had been racing out to help the others as well. Without so much as a glance back, Hiroshi made a touch-pass straight to Rukawa, who was momentarily free from a triple-team due to the full-court press. Rukawa shot into the air, firing the jumper over Tsuchiya that was too strong, bouncing out the inner part of the rim as Akihiro secured the rebound and heaved the ball right back to the other Daiei High players still in the backcourt.

_Bad decision making… they rushed that offensive sequence…_ Miyagi thought, watching the three original starters realize their mistake.

"Crap! Get back on defense!" Sakuragi burst into a sprint, Hiroshi already a step ahead of him. Matsumaru shot a quick alley-oop up to Hiromu, who was jumping straight for the basket.

"Damn!" Hiroshi leapt into the air, soaring behind Hiromu as the shooting guard rocked the ball back in mid-air, dodging Hiroshi's long arms from slapping the shot away. The two collided from Hiroshi's momentum as Hiromu flipped the ball up, the whistle stopping play as the shot rolled around the rim… and dropped through.

"Shooting foul, #13! Basket counts!"

"Crap! That's Hiroshi's third foul!" the Shohoku bench groaned as Hiroshi pushed himself up, visibly frustrated.

"Rookie mistake," Toshiya coughed from the Daiei High bench. "The only way to stop Hiromu from finishing a basket is to bring him down completely… weak fouls won't do anything."

"…A sixth man… huh?" Mitsui muttered, looking towards the stands as the Daiei High players congratulated Hiromu. Hiroshi stood with his hands on his hips, sweat dripping from his body as he just shook his head and lined up for the free-throw.

_Kogure… it's at times like these, we remember how valuable you were to us,_ Mitsui thought silently, catching Kogure's eye in the stands. The bespectacled forward seemed to be sharing the same thoughts as Haruko and the Sakuragi Army around him shared the same displeased look the former vice-captain was carrying.

"6-0 run! The Sparkplug strikes again!" The Daiei High supporters in the crowd shouted as Hiromu went to take his free-throw.

"Not good…" Youhei muttered as Hiromu dribbled the ball once and spun it in his hands. Kogure nodded unhappily.

_The sixth man does more than just replace a starter's scoring. He brings a change of pace to the team, inspiring them with energy or settling things with calmness: a true "sparkplug" to jumpstart a team into action._ Yayoi thought as Hiromu's free-throw swished through, making the scores 30-25. _Shohoku used to have Kogure… but now they have no one to turn to from the bench with enough talent to inspire the team. To the point where the starters can't even take a rest with ease…_

"Do we sub Hiroshi?" Ayako wondered aloud, clearly worried as Kuwata threw the ball to Yasuda, who was quicker to react this time and made it across the half-court line before the full court press could trap the two. Miyagi glanced towards Anzai, who hadn't moved from his seat since their last timeout.

_Getting beat three times… Hiroshi won't take it idly. _Miyagi thought, trying to calm himself as he stretched his legs out. _He may not look like it… but that determination to win…_

As if through unspoken understanding, Rukawa and Sakuragi both uncharacteristically shied away from the ball on that possession, forcing Yasuda to give the ball up to Hiroshi in the post against Akihiro.

"Defense!" The Daiei High supporters chanted as Hiroshi tilted his head so he could see just a bit over his shoulder, his body rearing to its full height as he leaned backwards to test how much strength Akihiro was using in holding him back. Hiroshi shot Rukawa a glance before noticing that the ace wasn't even bothering to move into a better offensive position.

_Don't pass out of something like that…_ Rukawa admonished silently, resting his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. Tsuchiya rested a hand on his back to make sure he couldn't get away, watching the matchup just as closely as Hiroshi spun on his pivot, faking a shot up. When Akihiro didn't bite, Hiroshi made a quick step in the direction across the court before using another spin move in the opposite direction, catching the other power forward off-guard from the sudden change. Hiroshi shot a smooth finger-roll that swished gently through the basket before Akihiro could recover.

"Beautiful!" The Shohoku bench clapped as Hiroshi moved back onto defense, sweat dripping in front of his steps as his eyes hid none of the fatigue that clung to his movements. Akihiro moved past him, meaning to establish position before he could get back.

"That Daiei High guy seems to be having a tough time scoring," Ayako noted, looking through her stats sheet. "Akihiro is one of their team's top five scorers, but—"

"It's cause of Hiroshi," Mitsui shrugged as Matsumaru moved the ball around the perimeter, Rukawa once again having to chase Tsuchiya around while the shot clock dwindled. "He plays a very exhaustive defense."

"'Exhaustive?'" Ayako wondered, turning for an explanation. Mitsui leaned forward in his seat and jerked his head in Akihiro and Hiroshi's direction.

"He focuses on ball denial, first and foremost. If you think about it, all the people Hiroshi has been matched up with have more turnovers or less shot attempts than usual. He actively tries to keep the ball out of the attacking player's hands—which is a tiring and somewhat risky style of playing, since he risks reach-in fouls from the referees.

"If the attacking player does happen to get the ball, it depends on the matchup. In most cases, Hiroshi is not the faster or more athletic of the two. In practice and in games, he instead forces the other player into places where there is more congestion or help defense, which instantly places pressure on the offensive player due to less room to operate. Failing that, he forces them into awkward areas to shoot, or places outside a person's 'comfort zone.' If he knows you can shoot well from the outside, he'll actively force the player to put the ball on the floor so he can force them to move to places they aren't comfortable from shooting. If he knows you're great at attacking the basket or posting up, he'll risk the outside shot, which is the lower percentage shot anyway. He follows textbook defense almost exactly."

"You did that with Fukuda last year," Miyagi remembered, thinking of Mitsui's own defensive abilities—such as when he shut down the much taller Sakuragi in a practice match before that Ryonan game that led Shohoku into the Inter-Highs. Mitsui nodded, his gaze troubled as he watched Matsumaru shoot a pass to Akihiro.

"But Hiroshi's greatest problem is not just his inexperience… but his lack of athleticism and slower reaction time. Sakuragi is able to use his sheer athleticism to cover up his defensive mistakes… but since Hiroshi is a more cerebral defensive player that's not quite as gifted…"

Akihiro muscled his way towards the basket, nearly mowing down the much thinner Hiroshi as he fell a few steps back, forcing Akihiro into a somewhat off-balance shot. As the ball bounced off the rim, Sakuragi tried to move for the defensive rebound but found Ken already holding him back.

"Pineapple Head, move!" Sakuragi shouted angrily, spinning around to try and get the better rebounding position. Before he could, another player soared in, catching the ball and knocking a knee right into the unaware Hiroshi's shoulder, sending him to the floor. Hiromu twirled the ball effortlessly off his fingers, making the shot as the whistle blew.

"Blocking foul, #13! Basket counts!"

Mitsui sighed heavily as the Daiei High supporters clapped loudly, cheering on the team's run as the scores clicked to 32-27, 5:33 remaining.

"…he can't cover up _any_ of his mistakes."

"Fourth foul on Hiroshi… one more and he's out…" The Sakuragi Army muttered amongst themselves as Sakuragi helped Hiroshi up, the power forward looking as angry as any of the other Shohoku players had seen.

"Hey!" Hiroshi yelled, brushing past Sakuragi and moving straight for the referee. "I was just standing there! What do you want me to do? Isn't that an over the back foul?"

_Dr. T: Once a rebounder has established position, another person may not restrict the rebounder's freedom of movement or push/charge/displace the rebounder. Doing so results in an "over the back" violation._

"Hiroshi, don't!" Yasuda moved quickly, about to drag him away before Sakuragi stepped in first, grabbing Hiroshi by the shoulder.

"Hiro."

Hiroshi clenched his fists, looking dangerously close to ignoring the redhead and possibly getting thrown out. However, his muscles abruptly slackened and he lowered his head wearily. Sakuragi gave him a friendly shake, like an older sibling comforting a younger one.

"Relax! This Tensai will take care of things!"

Ayako blinked in surprise at Sakuragi's demeanor, but was soon greeted with a bigger shock as Anzai finally moved from his seat on the bench, rising and motioning for Kakuta to substitute Hiroshi before intently meeting Mitsui's eyes.

"Mitsui-kun… pull the plug on their spark."

Mitsui grinned excitedly, obviously well rested and somewhat bored from having sat so long as he swept off his towel and shook out his shooting wrist.

"I'm in…"


	59. Chapter 58

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Reviews:**

…Yeah, sorry.

On another note, I'll probably be opening another account soon, where I can do some more serious writing for different animes. Test the waters, so to speak. I'll keep you guys updated: but never fear, for the Slam Dunk story is always my top priority to finish.

And yes, as some of you have guessed: Hiromu's offensive game is based off of Dr. Julius Erving.

* * *

**Chapter 58 – Speed**

"Man of Fire! Man of Fire!"

Nori swung his flag with renewed vigor, startling the other Shohoku supporters next to him as he nearly took Youhei's head off. Meanwhile, Mitsui once again took the floor, bumping fists with Hiroshi and Kuwata as they switched off with him and Kakuta.

"Who's this guy?" Sakuragi yelled loudly, pointing towards the vice-captain while Hiromu got ready for his free-throw. Mitsui only grinned in return, taking the ribbing in stride as he moved to assume rebounding position under the basket.

However, the bench's atmosphere wasn't quite as cheery—Hiroshi grabbed a towel without a word and strode past the benchwarmers, not meeting any of their offered high-fives before taking a seat at the farthest end. Ayako, along with the rest of the Shohoku bench, glanced at the usually amiable rookie worriedly while Hiroshi swung the towel over his head and put on his warm-ups, knowing that he wouldn't be back in the game for a long time.

"He's still a first year. It's best not to forget that."

Ayako was startled out of her daze as Anzai offered her a patient smile, the chubby coach calm as ever. Meanwhile, Hiroshi hung his head, the towel completely hiding his visage. He stared at the wooden floors in contemplation, and as the seconds wore on, Ayako realized that Hiroshi hadn't meant to give anyone a cold shoulder—he was simply so deep in thought that he didn't seem to notice his surroundings.

"This is the second Inter-High game in a row where he had to sit out with four fouls in the first half… not to mention he's been having foul or fatigue trouble every single game since he joined the team," Ayako agreed, turning her attention back to her stats-sheet. "I'm sure he's just upset."

"I would be more worried if he didn't take it so seriously," Anzai laughed, ho-ho-ho'ing softly as he turned his attention back to the game. "It means he expects more out of himself."

Hiromu made the free-throw, bringing Shohoku's lead to only four. Rukawa absently inbounded the ball to Yasuda, emotionless as always.

"First play for Mitsui," Yasuda suggested, the two jogging to the frontcourt. Rukawa veered off in a bees-line for the basket, his body language neutral to the suggestion—which, as the Shohoku players knew, was as good an answer as any. Yasuda was about to slow his dribble before an angry shout stopped him.

"Hanamichi! Post-position!" Mitsui instructed, waving both hands furiously as direction.

"Shut up, Micchi!" Sakuragi returned sourly as he bodied up against Ken, clearly having more than minor difficulties with out-muscling the other center. Yasuda swung the ball over to Mitsui once the shooter had calmed before backing away, the rest of the team following Yasuda's lead as they gave Mitsui room to operate. The sharpshooter brought the ball over his head, carefully studying Hiromu while planning a method of attack.

_His defense is fairly basic…_ Mitsui noted as Hiromu bodied up against him, essentially forcing Mitsui to put the ball on the floor and dribble instead of shooting due to lack of space. However Mitsui instead did just the opposite, leaping into the air and catching Hiromu off-guard as the other guard reacted instinctively and followed him.

"Hey! Don't leave your…" Toshiya called before Mitsui hurled the ball right over Hiromu's head, straight towards a streaking Rukawa. Rukawa paused for a split second after catching the ball, likewise causing Tsuchiya to react slower on his defense due to the abrupt stop. Without even looking, Rukawa shoveled a behind-the-back pass before the Daiei High's double team could reach him. The pass hit the open Kakuta, who laid the ball off the backboard gently.

"Holy crap! Great passing!" Shohoku's bench cheered as Kakuta grinned wildly, obviously pleased he had not let the pass go to waste.

"Holy crap! Someone that isn't a starter made a shot!" the Sakuragi Army cried in mock astonishment, leaving Haruko confused and Kogure hiding his chuckles underneath his hands.

"You're in good condition today, Rukawa," Mitsui grinned as they went back on defense, extending his hand in congratulations. Rukawa slapped it absently, a mixture of fatigue and something unreadable surfacing in his icy gaze.

"That could have been a pass to me!" Sakuragi fumed, taking position under Daiei's basket as the offense advanced. "Then I would have… hm, wait— I don't need that fox's dirty passes! If anything, if he passed to me, I should send the basketball away from Japan… after all, it's like a highly radioactive specimen that—"

"Oi, Hanamichi! Guard him!" Mitsui shouted, far too late as Tsuchiya took advantage of the offensive opportunity and fired a bullet pass between Kakuta and Rukawa, leaving Akihiro with an open path to the basket. The power forward threw a two-handed dunk on Sakuragi before the redhead knew what hit him, eliciting an awed gasp from the crowd.

_Shit… Kakuta not only gives up size, he's also slower than Akihiro!_ Miyagi thought, gritting his teeth and tightening the grip on his towel as Akihiro shot the Shohoku bench a defiant glare before lumbering off on defense. Kakuta sheepishly followed after him, knowing that he had failed his defensive assignment.

Mitsui picked the ball up and went to inbound, nodding towards Yasuda as he passed it off before training his eyes on Shohoku's center. However, he stopped short of saying anything as he noticed that Sakuragi had fallen silent and was staring off at the other side of the court, his eyes trained on Akihiro's jersey number.

"Oi."

"Hm?" Yasuda didn't look up, distracted with the task of dribbling the ball upcourt while formulating a plan of attack.

"Give me the ball."

Sakuragi abruptly veered off, heading in a bees-line straight for the basket. Having caught wind of the conversation, Miyagi rose from his seat and cupped his hands around his mouth.

"Hey, Yasuda! Ambush them! Ambush!"

Yasuda shot a glance over his shoulder only to see Miyagi now holding up his one hand in a fist, indicating the play. The other Shohoku players went to their respective positions, knowing exactly the plan that Miyagi had in mind.

"Hey, that must have been pretty embarrassing for that guy," Matsumaru noted as soon as Yasuda crossed the mid-court line, picking up the veteran point guard on defense. Yasuda struggled to keep the dribble safe, not speaking for a while as the shot clock clicked and the players rotated around. He baited Matsumaru into conversation as soon as he saw the oppurtunity.

"Sakuragi-kun is used to it. Just yesterd—"

Yasuda froze in mid-sentence as soon as he had eye-contact with Sakuragi, and in the next second he scrunched up his face and bared his teeth at the redhead. All the Shohoku followers instantly recognized the play before the ball even went into the air, Ayako rising from her seat on the bench in expectation.

"…The ambush alley-oop that they used on Sannoh!" Ayako whispered excitedly, unable to continue as Sakuragi out-leapt the players surrounding him and plucked the ball out of its airborne path. The thunderous one-handed slam over Akihiro that followed sent another collective gasp throughout the audience before wild applause erupted. The scores clicked to 36-30, Shohoku's lead with 3:49 remaining.

"Hell yeah!" Miyagi shouted ecstatically, pumping his fist before lowering his arm and slapping hands with his nearby benchmates.

"You guys are insane," Mitsui groaned, barely suppressing his own grin as Rukawa simply shrugged when he passed by the other players.

"That's Shohoku basketball!" Ayako laughed, barely able to hear herself over the noise while Anzai-sensei chuckled to himself. Hiroshi didn't seem to notice the excitement at all and continued to sit and stare at the floor.

"HEY!"

Shohoku's celebration instantly quieted before there was a collective realization that it was Tsuchiya who had yelled, having caught the attention of his entire team. The Daiei High captain motioned for the ball from Matsumaru, who dropped it off immediately.

"Don't get caught up in trying to play flashy or fast! We're here to win! Play defense!"

There was a brief silence before murmured agreement spread amongst the team.

"Right, oya-bun," Ken obediently glowered, falling into line with the other players as Tsuchiya handled the ball upcourt. The moment of disarray was instantly squelched by those instructions alone, catching the attention of Miyagi.

_These guys really are no joke… I almost forgot that this is still Inter-Highs. Whoever loses here today goes home!_ Miyagi returned to his seat, solemn.

_Whoever loses… goes home!_

"Screen left!" Mitsui warned Rukawa from across the court, Shohoku's ace reacting instantly as he snuck a glance to his left, judging how he should deal with the screen.

_Dr. T: When there's a screen/screen and roll/pick and roll, the defending player has numerous options available to guard the offensive player. He can choose to go "belly-up" and squeeze between the screen and the offensive player, or he can try to trap the offensive player by judging whether or not the offensive player is committed to using the screen or is going for a pass. There is also the option of "switching" defensive assignments if the defensive player cannot reach the offensive player in time. The option chosen depends on the defensive player's ability._

Anzai nodded appreciatively as he saw Rukawa play it safe and go under the screen, dodging in front of the human obstruction and managing to catch right back up to Tsuchiya. Though Tsuchiya had a brief second of space between the time Rukawa had fought through the screen to catch up, the captain didn't force the shot and instead threw a slick pass into Akihiro, who was muscling Kakuta into submission.

"Oh my freaking… Hanamichi! Weak side! Weak side!" Mitsui screamed, trying desperately to catch the redhead's attention as Akihiro proved too much for Kakuta, spinning into the undefended middle and hitting a soft floater off the backboard. Sakuragi dashed in just as the ball went through the hoop, a few seconds late. Instead of inbounding, the redhead seemed to be offended in place of Kakuta and as soon as he caught the ball he gave Akihiro a glare.

"Oi, Kinnikuman! Wake up from your beauty sleep? You need someone so much shorter than you to score?"

"'Kinnikuman'… holy crap…" Miyagi sputtered, choking back laughter at Sakuragi's rather accurate comparison of Akihiro's physique to the old school manga character. Mitsui sighed heavily and instantly stepped between the two before the referees intervened.

"Hey, relax, all right? Hanamichi, do you have to pick a fight every single game we have?" Mitsui shot Sakuragi a dirty look and gave the redhead a one-handed shove back, which didn't seem to really register with the center as his eyes remained locked with Akihiro's. The burly power forward was the first to break eye contact, but not before getting in one final word:

"You're a couple years too early to be talking shit, redhead."

"You son of a…" Sakuragi was again about to advance before Mitsui shoved the redhead back, violently this time. The center surprisingly stumbled back a step before swinging his ire onto the vice captain. The two locked stares for a moment before Mitsui looked away, though still upset.

"Don't forget your duties on the court," Mitsui stated, loud enough for everyone to hear. "You get thrown out, you screw us all over."

Sakuragi relented, his unnecessary anger abating while the Sakuragi Army heaved a collective sigh of relief in the stands. "Ah, sorry Micchi."

A whistle pierced through the air, shocking Sakuragi enough for him to jump a few feet before the whirled around to see the referee making a hand motion.

"Shohoku, delay of game!"

_Dr. T: A delay of game is called when a team or player prevents the ball from being put into play in a timely manner. Typically, the first delay of game is only a warning, but each subsequent delay of game results in a technical foul called on said team._

"Sorry, we got it," Mitsui apologized, shoving Sakuragi out of bounds. "This guy will inbound."

Rukawa was already on the other side of the court and merely watched what happened with his typical blank expression, not giving away what he thought of Sakuragi's emotional outburst. Tsuchiya sized up Rukawa as Yasuda walked the ball upcourt, the game now back in full force.

_He's quieted down again, After that huge offensive output earlier in the half. Is he tired? Or…_

Yasuda made a precise chest pass to Mitsui before cutting down the middle, drawing Matsumaru after him and giving Mitsui the space at the top of the arc to dictate the offense. Instead of doing any sort of directing, however, Mitsui instantly brought the ball up, looking as if he was about to shoot.

"It's a fake!" Tsuchiya warned, albeit too late as Hiromu was already in the air. Mitsui couldn't help but grin as he took one hard dribble under and past Hiromu before lobbing the ball in mid-air. Tsuchiya dashed after the ball, keeping one hand on Rukawa so he wouldn't lose him—but it was too late before Rukawa was already in the air, catching the alley-oop and soaring in for the soft lay-in.

"Nice!" Shohoku's bench cheered, watching their team keep the lead at 38-32. Mitsui heaved a sigh of relief as he backpedaled onto defense, obviously having made the pass as a spur-of-the-moment decision.

_Yes… that Hiromu guy may be very strong offensively… but his defense and craftiness is not as strong as Toshiya's! He's a weak point!_

Tsuchiya, on the other hand, again motioned for the ball, having decided to take over the duty of bringing the ball upcourt and making the first move for the offense. If Hikoichi had been there, he would have confirmed from his earlier reports what was beginning to dawn on most of the Shohoku players—that Tsuchiya was indeed not merely the captain, but played with a certain flair attributable to Sendoh himself, that of a point-forward.

_Just have to confirm for myself..._ Tsuchiya thought, waving his hand towards Ken to come out of the post. Ken obediently lumbered away before Tsuchiya dashed forward, again forcing Rukawa to defend him closely as he sliced through the mass of bodies, taking advantage of all the screens available. There was an audible thud as bone met bone, Rukawa having been stopped by one screen down the line as Tsuchiya lifted into the air and shot a quick floater in the lane before the other Shohoku players could switch for Rukawa.

"Ah crap," Miyagi muttered under his breath as Kakuta helped Rukawa up.

_So they noticed it too… our fatigue. Earlier in the match, Rukawa would have dunked that alley-oop in. But right now, no one on the team is running with a full tank, and as each possession continues, we either have to rush our offensive sequence or play into Daiei High's style of slow, methodical half-court offense…_

"Don't mind, guys! Just a bit longer…" Miyagi trailed off, glancing up at the clock to find 1:42 remaining in the half.

_If we keep the lead going into the half, we'll be fine. Once we get the half-time break, hopefully things will be…_

"It's a miss!" Mitsui shouted, snapping Miyagi out of his thoughts as he realized that Mitsui had shot a three-pointer as soon as he had gotten to the other side of the court. Sakuragi shoved Ken discreetly before forcing his way closer into the post, one eye on the referees to make sure he wouldn't get caught for what he just did. The redhead shot into the air and seized the ball from the air, his gaze swinging wildly across the court to see if anyone was open.

_Shit… no one is open but that fox, _Sakuragi realized, spotting Rukawa just a few feet away from Tsuchiya. Tsuchiya seemed to be backing off a bit in anticipation of a fast break, but his gamble had come out wrong, since Sakuragi had been the first to get the rebound. _I'm clearly a Tensai compared to him! _

"Out of my way!" Sakuragi drove his shoulder into Ken once, testing the other center's strength only to realize that Ken wasn't giving an inch. Sakuragi swung quickly on his pivot foot before shooting a very awkward looking floater that barely caught the iron of the basket.

"Sakuragi! Don't do moves you don't know how to do!" Mitsui groaned, taking a step forward despite himself. _He was trying to emulate that Tsuchiya guy, wasn't he?_

"Crap! I'll get it myself!" Sakuragi again exploded into the air, his hands already closing around the ball when another pair of hands caught the ball. It took a moment for Sakuragi to realized that it was Ken, who had reacted nearly instantly from Sakuragi's earlier offensive attempt.

"Let go, Pineapple Head!" Sakuragi ordered, the two tugging at the ball. Sakuragi hugged the ball closer to himself and tried to wrest it away with brute force, but Ken's grip was just as tough.

"It's going to be jump-ball soon!" Ayako shouted from the benches, noticing that one of the referees was placing his whistle between his lips. Sakuragi gritted his teeth and gave one more hard tug before he took the ball away, leaving the surprised Ken behind as he laughed maniacally.

"Ha! Trying to take the ball from this Tensai? You're dreaming! Now, commoner's shot!" Sakuragi took one dribble to align himself better with the basket before he shot a lay-up, only for it to get smacked backwards. The redhead's eyes widened as he realized that it had been Ken once again who had thwarted his plans, and before he could get the loose ball, Akihiro came from the weak side and stole the ball away.

"Hey! That's mine!" Sakuragi growled, swinging blindly at Akihiro's hands to try and get a steal. Akihiro easily pulled the ball away from danger and hurled an overhead pass downcourt, where the fast-break had just started.

"3 on 2! Don't lose your man!" Mitsui shouted, backpedaling and trying to stay in the middle of the lane so he could react to the offensive sequence. Yasuda was the only one who had made it back but he was currently a step behind Matsumaru, who was pushing the ball up with astounding speed.

_That Hiromu and Tsuchiya are cutting down the same lane… what are they planning?_ Mitsui thought, trying to make a guess as to who Matsumaru would pass to. Given that he was the only one who could realistically defend, he knew he was at a disadvantage—he could only guard one person at a time. However, just as he was about to commit to checking Tsuchiya, there was a gasp from the crowd as Yasuda poked the ball out from behind Matsumaru.

"All right! Nice job!" Shohoku's bench clapped, watching the ball bounce wildly towards the out-of-bounds lane. Matsumaru dove for the floor, just managing to get a hand on the ball before he started his dribble again from a near-sitting position, instantly quieting the Shohoku bench.

"Incredible dribbling skills…" Ayako mumbled, watching Matsumaru give the ball one final hard push before slapping it blindly towards Tsuchiya. _Reminds me of Ryota's playing style, through and through…_

"Shit! I knew it would be you!" Mitsui advanced one step forward, ready to draw the charge from Tsuchiya. The Daiei High captain's eyes flashed briefly towards Mitsui's feet before heaving the ball at the backboard. The ball bounced off at an angle but somehow managed to go in Hiromu's general direction. Though it was a very awkward pass, Hiromu spun in mid-air and made a behind-the-back lay-in that looked near accidental rather than intentional. 38-36.

"Down to a two point lead!" the crowd shouted, the Daiei High supporters ecstatic at the short run their team was putting on.

"Great reaction… Tsuchiya realized that Mitsui was out of the circle, so if he had decided to take the ball in, Mitsui would have drawn the offensive foul for sure," Miyagi stated, nodding his head appreciatively despite himself.

The Shohoku players, meanwhile, were staring at each other, as if trying to pin the blame on someone for letting the lead slip by so quickly. Mitsui clicked his tongue in irritation and stooped down to scoop up the ball, giving it one hard bounce before stepping out of bounds.

"Vice-captain."

Everyone was surprised to see the sweat-drenched Rukawa speak, his voice now in pants from sheer exhaustion. However, no matter what his body may have been trying to tell him, his eyes were still as focused as ever, terrifying in their single-minded intensity.

"Pass to me."

"Don't listen to the fox! He can't even stand!" Sakuragi poked Rukawa in the back to illustrate, expecting the ace to simply topple over. Instead, Rukawa glanced over his shoulder to give Sakuragi a look that could be called a glare, if it wasn't filled with disinterest.

"Touch me again and I'll kill you."

"Yeah? With what? Your fox odor?"

"Here," Mitsui offered diplomatically, bouncing the ball to Rukawa before jogging off to offense and leaving the fuming Sakuragi behind. Rukawa took the ball up slowly, stopping at the top of the arc while lethargically glancing between the Shohoku players.

_Slow… he's playing slow…_ Miyagi thought, concerned by the fact that Rukawa hadn't even called a play, which usually meant he was planning to just go one-on-one._ Risky, letting their defense set up… are you buying time for yourself to catch your breath? Or trying to beat Daiei at their own style?_

Sure enough, once the clock had dwindled down sufficiently, Rukawa dashed in and barely beat Tsuchiya off the dribble. A double-team instantly met the Shohoku ace as he sliced for the rim, cradling the ball against his body as he stopped his dribble. Head bent low, Rukawa literally skipped his allotted two steps before dropping the ball off to Kakuta again, the power forward not open but with sufficient space to make an offensive decision.

"This guy, huh?" Akihiro mumbled, turning his attention on the much shorter Kakuta. Kakuta faked a shot but Akihiro didn't even acknowledge it, instead advancing a step to restrict Kakuta's options. However, Kakuta abruptly dropped the ball in a bounce pass and before anyone could switch over to help, Yasuda made a lay-up and brought the Shohoku lead back to four.

"Nice job you two!" Ayako shouted encouragingly, Kakuta and Yasuda bumping fists before grinning towards Rukawa. The ace simply stared back at them for a moment before jogging back onto defense, not offering any visible acknowledgement.

"That was almost all Rukawa's work," Kogure mumbled from the stands, quieting the celebrating Sakuragi Army. "He drew the double-team and gave Kakuta enough space… while at the same time freeing up the middle enough for Yasuda to get to the basket as long as he got a step on Matsumaru. Gave them enough freedom to make their own decisions without stifling defensive pressure."

"Rukawa planned all that?" Youhei wondered aloud, only to be met by silence by Kogure as the bespectacled man fell into deep thought.

_You're on a completely different level of play, Rukawa. You made an offensive sequence out of nothing… without even telling your teammates what they should do or where they should be. Are you really fatigued… or are you just bored, so confident in your skill that you don't believe Shohoku can lose? Either one can be truly dangerous, if you aren't careful…_

"Don't worry, we're within reach!" Tsuchiya shouted to his teammates as he directed the offense, swinging his free hand like a conductor as he cleared up space here, made players jam up a certain spot of the floor there. Meanwhile, Rukawa slacked on defense and instead took a few steps back before crouching into defensive position, daring Tsuchiya to shoot the three-pointer. The Daiei High captain didn't seem to pay this any heed and instead kept dribbling away the shot clock, narrowing his eyes towards Rukawa.

"Two times in a row, you've beaten Eiji and Sannoh… but don't get so cocky to think you can beat us that easily."

Rukawa didn't even respond, keeping his focus on Tsuchiya's dribbling pattern. Tsuchiya smiled slightly, despite himself.

"You look exhausted, but yet you…"

"Stop talking," Rukawa muttered, now bringing his eyes up just a tad. Tsuchiya stared back, recognizing the burning desire to win hidden behind the ice of Rukawa's glare. "Play the game."

Tsuchiya blinked, curious. "In a rush?"

"Yes." Rukawa refocused on the ball, his own head silently ticking off the shot clock so he knew how much time Tsuchiya had to make an offensive move. "I need to take a nap."

The Daiei High captain sweatdropped. "What?"

"I need to beat you guys as soon as possible so I can take a nap. Or else I'll be tired for our next match."

Tsuchiya stared at Rukawa in disbelief for a second more before bursting into hearty laughter, heaving the ball towards Hiromu as he continued to laugh. Hiromu raced in as soon as he caught the ball, his athleticism more than Mitsui could handle as the sixth man cut through Shohoku's defense like butter, the zone ineffective against his sheer will to get to the basket.

_I really can't stop him?!_ Mitsui thought, watching Hiromu gain nearly two full steps on the shooter before running fearlessly towards Sakuragi. The redhead instantly switched off, but it didn't seem to matter as Hiromu brought the ball over his head, balancing it on one hand while the other hung down low at his side. It looked as if he would tomahawk the ball into the basket, but instead Hiromu lifted into the air and shot the ball in what seemed to be something like a hook-shot. The ball's lift was just enough to avoid getting blocked by Sakuragi and it hit off the center of the backboard before dropping neatly through the net.

"Last possession! Go go go!" the Shohoku bench screamed, everyone on the court scrambling as Mitsui quickly took the ball out, the clock clicking down from 8 seconds.

"Rukawa!" Mitsui shouted, recognizing the ace instantly as he reared back and heaved the ball to the half-court line. Matsumaru dashed away from Yasuda, ready to intercept the ball-- but Sakuragi abruptly ran past him, blocking the point guard from getting an easy steal. Sakuragi seemed completely oblivious to the fact that he had saved Shohoku from a turnover, however, as he kept racing for their basket in anticipation of grabbing an offensive rebound.

Rukawa leapt into the air and caught the ball, his back facing the rim but his head over his shoulder to see if anyone was guarding him. Realizing that Tsuchiya was already waiting at the three-point line and Daiei High's offense was steadily setting up, Rukawa took one dribble before stopping at the top of the arc, ball over his head as if he was going to pass.

"The redhead! Ken, make sure to get him!" Tsuchiya shouted, distracted as he turned to make sure that the mohawked center was in position. There was a collective gasp from the audience as Tsuchiya froze, realizing his mistake. His muscles slackened and he rose out of defensive position, not even bothering to turn back to look at Rukawa.

The ball swished through the net, bringing the scores to 43-38, with 0:02 remaining.

"Oh my god! Rukawa's first three-pointer of the Inter-Highs!" The Shohoku bench exploded, Miyagi rising to his feet with the other benchwarmers and delivering enthusiastic high-fives.

Matsumaru inbounded to Tsuchiya, who held the ball and opted not to shoot for the remaining seconds. He casually tossed the ball to a referee just as the bell sounded, signaling the end of the half. Tsuchiya sighed heavily before sneaking a glance towards Shohoku's side of the court, watching as Rukawa nonchalantly slapped hands with his fellow players.

_I can't gauge what he's thinking… but he can't go like that for the entire game. No matter how good you are… after what he went through yesterday with Sannoh, and now against my type of offense… he can't._

Tsuchiya brushed some sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand before he regrouped with his team back into the lockers.

_He'll crumble soon, from one thing… or another._


	60. Chapter 59

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Reviews:**

Thanks for everyone's reviews. I promise to respond to each review again starting from this chapter, which took a bit longer than I would have liked-- although I'd like to say to Nigel that a torn ACL is pretty dangerous so watch yourself; it's important you stay healthy. I'm glad to hear that you're recovering and you can get back to balling soon.

Anyway, this is essentially a defining chapter for the Shohoku team and their championship aspirations may be back in full-force. I hope you all like it.

* * *

**Chapter 59 – Today**

"All right, we're doing good!"

The Shohoku locker room's atmosphere was cheery as the players excitedly chattered, feeling comfortable with their lead. However, as the celebrations continued, the Shohoku starters hardly seemed pleased. Sakuragi sat in a corner, downing any fluids he could get his hands on while Hiroshi laid on the floor in his warm-ups, just staring at the ceiling. Across the room from them, Rukawa was still panting, his blank gaze fixated on some point in space as he cradled a bottle of Pocari Sweat between his hands.

Mitsui abruptly rose from his seat and yanked Miyagi away from chatting with Yasuda, silencing everyone as he stood on top of one of the benches. Everyone stared at the shooter expectantly while Mitsui dragged Miyagi up as well, the two now towering over the others. However, Mitsui did just the opposite and pointed at Miyagi instead.

"Yo, captain. Talk."

"What?" Miyagi gave Mitsui a confused stare before glancing between the other players, just as surprised as them. "Wait, I… wait, what?"

"Captain-speech. Go."

"You're the one that pulled me up here!"

Mitsui gave Miyagi a long look, indicating that he wasn't going to budge from his position. "I'm vice-captain. I only matter when you aren't doing your job. But you were just about to talk, weren't you?"

Miyagi was about to shake his head before Mitsui's eyes narrowed, almost threateningly.

"Weren't you?"

_What's he getting at?_ Miyagi wracked his brain, replaying what just happened amidst his own confusion. Finally, Miyagi cleared his throat and nodded, finally formulating something to say.

"Yeah, I was about to," Miyagi replied confidently, looking out to the other players. "That was a good half guys, and…"

"We played like crap and we're lucky to have the lead."

Dead silence. After a few seconds, Miyagi grew antsy and coughed, trying to lift the heavy atmosphere that had abruptly descended on the once-hopeful locker room.

"Um... Mitsui… you shouldn't have…"

Rukawa wiped his brow, his eyes expressing agreement despite his silence. However, the other players seemed confused, particularly Sakuragi.

"Oi, Micchi! We're ahead though, aren't we?"

"Yeah, and we're only ahead because Rukawa busted his ass to keep us there," Mitsui stated before Miyagi could interject, the shooter slowly growing visibly upset. "Our lead is nothing but an illusion that came from offensive momentum. We don't have control of the game in the slightest—we're playing to their standards, and not ours."

Ayako, who had been checking through her stats book, now raised her head in protest. "Now wait a minute, doesn't that mean you guys are playing great? I mean, if you can play by their standards and still keep a lead…"

Mitsui sighed and scratched his head irritably, trying to keep his hands busy. "A game isn't won in one half! Do you see anyone out there that can go full strength for the next half or play as well as we did in the first?"

Detecting the impatience in Mitsui's voice, Miyagi's own temper now flared as he rushed to defend Ayako. "Hey, don't talk like that to Aya-chan!"

Mitsui gave Miyagi a glare and swept his hands out. "Look, I'm not going to bullshit the others into thinking this game is going to be just handed to us! This is the Nationals, and you're going to let the others believe that because we win a half we win the game? We can't take it easy even for a second! Toshiya sat out almost the entire half, and now they know our playing style!"

"Yeah, well, you don't have to bring down the morale like that! Besides, we don't have all our starters up there either! Stop acting like a—"

"Both of you, shut up!" Sakuragi rose from his seat, shocking everyone as he heaved a bottle of Pocari Sweat at the two that flew right between their faces. The bottle cracked against the wall and thumped to the floor in muffled exclamation, the two arguing seniors falling silent as Sakuragi stomped onto the bench he was sitting on before confidently pointing to himself.

"This Tensai will handle everything! That Pineapple Head and those other idiots won't know what hit them!"

"Dou ahou," Rukawa mumbled as Mitsui and Miyagi ignored Sakuragi completely, obviously not taking his outburst seriously at all. More arguments started to spread throughout the lockers, with Ayako and some other benchwarmers trying to calm everyone down. Only Rukawa and Hiroshi stayed silent, both seeming to have already recognized what Mitsui had stated without prompting.

A gentle cough abruptly silenced the chaos, and everyone turned to see Anzai standing at the door of the locker-room, a clipboard in hand. Mitsui and Miyagi instantly fell back into their seats as everyone cleared the way for the coach, even Sakuragi.

Anzai shuffled to the center of the room at a turtle's pace, and once he reached it, he merely adjusted his glasses before speaking.

"I'm afraid that Mitsui-kun is correct about our need to adjust for the next half…"

Mitsui shot Miyagi a smug look upon those words.

"…but Miyagi-kun is also correct about the fact that we are not playing to our full potential."

Miyagi returned the look with equal self-satisfaction.

Anzai took a pen from his pocket and uncapped it slowly, as if he was in no hurry to tell the Shohoku players their plans for the next half.

"We will start the next half with a lineup of Yasuda -kun, Mitsui-kun, Kentaro-kun, Satoro-kun, and Hiroshi-kun."

Tension and surprise hung in the air now, particularly from Kentaro and Satoro, who had never even played for the team in an actual game. The other benchwarmers looked at the two in shock, recognizing them as just cheerleaders.

"…Sensei!" Miyagi rose from his seat, pausing for a second to think of how he could say, in the politest way possible, that Kentaro and Satoro were likely… not capable. However, before he could protest, Anzai continued speaking.

"Our defense will be a full-court press, and everyone should only focus on defense. We do not need a single point," Anzai slowly started to write on his clipboard as he kept talking, "as long as they do not get one for themselves."

"What's the big idea, taking this Tensai out?" Sakuragi was instantly at the coach's side, slapping his double-chin angrily. "The fox doesn't have to play, but I can play! I don't get worn out like that loser!"

Sakuragi abruptly stopped his assault as he looked down at what Anzai had written on his clipboard. Anzai turned the clipboard towards everyone so they could see that he had written only one thing:

"_A single arrow is easily broken, but not ten in a bundle."_

Another long silence fell among the Shohoku players as they digested the proverb. After a moment, everyone went back to their seats in silence, though the two benchwarmers that were about to start the next half were tensing up despite the others trying to get them to loosen up.

Miyagi drummed his fingers against his thigh restlessly for a few moments before standing back up. He quickly strode over to Anzai and placed a hand on the coach's shoulder, though not unkindly.

"Sensei, I told you that I would trust and respect all your decisions unless I felt something was very wrong. And right now, I don't understand what you are planning to do at all." Miyagi lowered his voice as he kept talking. "Look, Kentaro and Satoro mean a lot to the team because they try hard in practice and cheer for us, and hell, maybe they deserve some playing time for being so—er, what I mean is, I know that they've been around for two years now and know how we play, but if you really feel the need to sub most of us, why not Kuwata and Kakuta? Both are more experienced with real-game situations."

Anzai nodded, looking somewhat pleased that Miyagi had voiced his concern this time instead of being distrustful. "Miyagi-kun, they will only be in the game for two minutes. I will pull them immediately after that and make the necessary adjustments to our lineup."

"Why not just…"

Anzai now turned so he faced the captain of Shohoku and placed a comforting hand of his own on Miyagi's shoulder. "I ask for two minutes. If after one possession, you still do not agree..."

Miyagi only stared at the coach, the older man's expression still blank. After a few moments, Miyagi finally nodded.

"Remember… it's a full-court defense." Anzai's hand fell away. "We'll start with 41 Deny."

_Dr. T: There are numerous types of full-court defenses. "41 Deny" is a type of man-to-man full court defense that actively focuses on ball-denial, which may result in a turnover for the opposing time via the five second rule or a bad inbounds pass. 41 Deny is a risky, but also potentially rewarding, full-court defense that can benefit for short stretches of the game due to the mental pressure it places on the attacking team. _

Miyagi nodded hesitantly, trying to work it out in his head but finding it still unfathomable. "Okay. I got it, Sensei."

"Thank you, Miyagi-kun." Anzai was about to say more before Sakuragi again got between the two, the redhead still upset.

"Wait a minute, when will I go back in the game? This Tensai needs to be leading scorer for Shohoku again!"

Miyagi wandered back and took a seat next to Mitsui, ignoring the noisy redhead as he sighed heavily.

"I don't know what to do," Miyagi mumbled. "I didn't even think I should tell the others about what you said earlier until you said it."

Mitsui took a swig of Pocari Sweat before he shrugged, the two forgetting their earlier argument. "Don't worry about it. I was captain before too. I know it's hard to decide."

"I guess," Miyagi relented, though it didn't sit well with him because he still wasn't sure if Mitsui had been right. Mitsui gave a sigh of his own and straightened.

"Look, point guards are meant to be coaches on the field. We rely on you for more than just giving us all those scoring opportunities. We need your leadership. I'm just the vice-captain—I'll back you up when you need me, but you got to make the big calls."

Miyagi gave Mitsui a serious look. "And what if I'm wrong?"

"Then we lose," Mitsui stated, hardly batting an eye.

"This is the Inter-Highs. We can't afford a loss just for me to grow, you get it? I _can't_ be wrong," Miyagi returned, his voice rising. "One mistake and we lose!"

"But if you let me make the damn calls, then you're never going to get any better!"

"I don't care! I want to win!" Miyagi clenched his fists. "Akagi's dream… to conquer the nation… isn't that what we're here for?!"

Mitsui lowered his head, taking in Miyagi's outburst. The two were unaware that they had once again become the focus of everyone in the locker-room, everyone intently listening in on their argument. Mitsui pondered his words a bit longer before speaking.

"I want this bad, don't get me wrong. But everything we do… that's the stuff from 'today.' It took me far too long to realize, but basketball is there for us not just 'today,' but every day after that. We're not going to be here just 'today.' We're graduating this year. Win or lose, we're gone eventually. And an empty win is far worse than a meaningful loss. What I mean to say is that… after this is all over, if we haven't gotten better, then why did we play basketball, together, as a team, in the first place?"

"Because I'm a basket-man," Sakuragi answered seriously, sauntering away from Anzai. There was murmured agreement as Ayako checked her watch and motioned for the others that they had to head back out. Miyagi had quieted in a hurry, seeming to have acknowledged and understood Mitsui's words.

A faint rustling, barely noticeable, finally came from a corner of the locker-room as Hiroshi rose from his place on the floor, his gangly arms swinging at his side. He slowly strode over to Miyagi just as the others got up from their seats, everyone gathering around the captain and vice-captain as the two looked up into a sea of faces that had grown familiar to them.

"You love basketball, captain?"

Miyagi's voice was shaky, though he didn't notice.

"...Yeah."

Hiroshi extended a long arm, the other nonchalantly thrust into his pockets. Sakuragi was the first to gleefully slap it, and in seconds, everyone followed the redhead's lead. Rukawa silently watched, making sure that there were as many hands between his and Sakuragi's as possible before he also joined in.

Mitsui grinned and stuck his own hand into the mass. Miyagi finally followed suit and placed his hand on top, before taking a deep breath. His voice was calm now, steady.

"**Win or lose, I don't care. In basketball and in life, we're going to conquer the nation… isn't that what we're here for?!"**

Ayako breathed deep, having never seen the Shohoku team act so close to being an actual team... except for one time, one time that now seemed so long ago, a moment filled with nostalgia and a fondness that almost broke her heart. Something stirred wildly in her chest as Anzai watched as his players' voices came together as one.

"**HELL YEAH!"**

All the hands swept out as everyone clamored out of the locker room. Miyagi led them, tugging his wrist-bands on tight as they stormed out, ready to go to war.

* * *

"Hiroshi, you mark the man closest to the inbounds. Yasuda will be the safety, so you guys just stick with your man. Got it?" 

_Dr. T: When playing full-court defense, the "safety" is the person on defense that was meant to guard the inbounder, but instead stays at the other side of the court to prevent fast breaks. _

The others nodded, although Kentaro and Satoro looked far from ready. Miyagi sighed and patted the two's backs reassuringly. Though Miyagi was clearly as nervous as the two (Kentaro and Satoro were barely taller than Miyagi and were about to guard others that towered over them), he was trying his best to keep Anzai's words in mind.

"Just stay in front of your man. That's all… stay in front."

The referee moved for the center of the court, ready to toss the jump ball as the Daiei High's normal starters came out. Toshiya was first to notice the change in lineup, and he coughed heavily before finally expressing an opinion.

"Are you guys trying to play some insane run-and-gun or something?" Toshiya yawned, finding that as the only explanation for the sheer amount of diminutive players now standing on Shohoku's side.

"Sure," Mitsui smirked as he took position. "The fastest run and gun you'll ever see."

Hiroshi seemed to have snapped out of his earlier funk and got ready to jump ball, though it was uncertain what was really going through his head as he lowered his knees slightly in anticipation. Though he timed the jump well, his athleticism still wasn't that great and Ken controlled the opening tip.

"Defense!" The Shohoku bench shouted as Matsumaru shot a quick chest pass to Tsuchiya, who was now being marked by Mitsui. However, in just a matter of seconds, Tsuchiya went around two screens and left the shooter in his wake, shooting a wide-open jump shot and instantly quieting the Shohoku supporters.

"Hey!" Mitsui whirled on the two second-years, who looked somewhat lost. "Switch when I get beat, you guys got it?"

Satoro and Kentaro nodded quickly to avoid the vice-captain's wrath. Meanwhile, Miyagi clenched his fists nervously from the benches, trying not to voice any complaints and trusting Anzai's game-plan.

Yasuda handled the ball up-court methodically, precise and patient in his movements as Matsumaru marked him tightly. Hiroshi was forced to shy away from the ball because of Ken's defense, and Mitsui was doing no better—the two starters were not particularly athletic and weren't able to effectively get themselves into a good passing angle for Yasuda.

"Oi, old man, let me in! We aren't that tired!" Sakuragi said lazily, leaning back in his seat as Yasuda rotated the ball around the key. Anzai ignored the redhead and kept watching the fruitless offensive possession—the ball just kept going around the key, passing from hand to hand, unable to advance.

The referee's whistle stopped soon stopped the play. Shot clock violation.

"There's no offensive options out there," Youhei muttered from the stands, the Sakuragi Army and Haruko just as shocked at Anzai's substitutions. "I know the Shohoku team is tired, but this…"

"Full-court press!" Toshiya warned as soon as Tsuchiya took the ball out, watching nearly all of the Shohoku players still on their half of the court. Hiroshi actively bodied against Akihiro, who was the closest to the ball.

"Aren't you worried about that fifth foul, kid?" Akihiro mumbled, raising his hands to try and make himself a bigger target for Tsuchiya to pass to. Hiroshi was silent as he mirrored Akihiro's movements, the rookie's wingspan far too long for Tsuchiya to risk a pass over.

"You guys are doing great!" Ayako cheered, keeping one eye on the referee who was counting down the five second violation next to Tsuchiya. However, Tsuchiya simply pointed downcourt before heaving the ball, catching the Shohoku defenders by surprise.

"Oh crap…" Miyagi mumbled when he realized what Tsuchiya had done. The ball flew right into the hands of Ken, who towered over Yasuda—thus completely nullifying the full-court press due to Shohoku's lack of size. Two dribbles later, Ken simply powered to the basket freely and dunked the ball home.

"We're losing the lead… we're losing it fast!" The Shohoku bench was now nervous, most of the players on their feet as they tried to cheer the team on. Miyagi, Rukawa, and Sakuragi simply sat and watched, the three as close to Anzai as possible to see if he would offer any words of wisdom or tell them what he was planning.

But the coach was silent, and it wasn't long before Miyagi grew restless as he saw Hiroshi reduced to a mere body, unable to attack effectively to avoid picking up another foul. The power forward was forced to play center, and being in the post was the most dangerous area in terms of drawing fouls.

Anzai finally spoke after Mitsui missed a jump-shot.

"I remember very distinctly, in this same arena, just last year, Sakuragi-kun told me that these are his years of glory. He also reminded me that mine have passed."

His voice was relaxed as the full-court press failed miserably again. Another score for Daiei.

"I witnessed his perfect game… but afterwards, I realized it wasn't just him."

Anzai lifted his head. Yasuda made a sloppy pass and turned the ball over.

"All of you played perfect. All of you. But Sannoh also played perfect basketball, a basketball so perfect that as a coach I was amazed—but as a spectator, such perfect basketball is lost and becomes nothing but a greater team dominating a lesser team. Perfect basketball is mechanical, predictable, and boring. It's a basketball that's charted from beginning to end, even the result."

New plan. Mitsui seemed to have given them new instructions and was guarding the inbounds, with Hiroshi as safety. Another failure—Mitsui wasn't as quick as Toshiya. Ball to Ken. Hiroshi forced to draw his hand away at the last second to avoid a reach-in foul. Back out to Tsuchiya. Tsuchiya lost Mitsui, and Kentaro switched off his man. Tsuchiya shoveled a scoop pass to the now open Matsumaru. Another score for Daiei.

"But the perfect basketball of Shohoku… is not perfect. It is filled with emotion. You all took so many risks that any coach would frown upon them. We could have easily lost that game—and that alone contradicts what perfect basketball is thought to be. But it did not matter because it was basketball, it was _real_ basketball, the kind that I played, children still play, and you will all continue to play. It was **perfect basketball."**

Anzai slowly closed his eyes, remembering it just as the three teenagers next to him did.

"What is perfect for me, may not be perfect for others. So I wanted you three to watch, not as basketball players, but as spectators. For a moment, forget your vast basketball knowledge, forget your talents and how you may do things differently, and try and see how hard you all fought because this is what you all looked like to me that day."

The three turned their attention to the game. Hiroshi had the ball and was racing in, barreling into Ken with complete disregard for his fifth foul now, sensing the changing momentum. Hiroshi powered his way up and banked the shot in, tumbling to the floor as the referee's whistle remained silent.

"This is far from a perfect game… that's why I want to tell you three that I want to see such perfect basketball again. Because Sakuragi-kun is right: my glory days are over. But I want to watch all of yours. Do not forget that I too, wanted to win last year. I am also at fault for our loss after Sannoh."

A steal by sheer luck. Yasuda to Kentaro to Mitsui. Jump shot, perfect form. Swish.

"I want you all to realize that you're capable of perfect basketball again. You are a team that is capable of moving the hearts of people that understand what it is to fight uphill battles. You are a team that leaves your heart on the court."

A battle of titans. Hiroshi walking the razor-thin line between defense and foul, trying to hold Ken back from the basket. Yasuda managing to get his hand on a pass, ball on the floor. As if by magic, Mitsui the first to hit the ground, beating everyone to the ball despite being the farthest away from it. Pass back out—no, stolen. No, Hiroshi now leaping into the fray, trying to force a jump-ball and… wasted effort. Matsumaru to Akihiro. Dunk. Another score for Daiei.

The four on the bench, the only four that were seeing the beauty of a losing game, were silent as they watched Mitsui punch the floor, so hard that the skin around his knuckles tore and fresh blood marked where he had been. Saw Hiroshi looking to the rafters, checking the score, eyes narrowed angrily, putting the blame on no one but himself.

Inbounds. Daiei now going for Shohoku's throat with their own full-court press. Satoro struggling to find a passing angle.

There was none. Five second violation.

The crowd was back to life, cheering for Daiei. There was no longer any question about how Anzai's plan was turning out— Shohoku was getting beat up. But they were still fighting, even against impossible odds, fighting through literally two-on-five basketball, fighting through fatigue, injury, ego blows and body blows. Hiroshi taking an elbow to his temple. Mitsui shoved out of position for a rebound, landing awkwardly on his still-not-completely-healed-but-he-would-never-admit-it bad ankle and gritting his teeth in pain. Yasuda getting blown by on defense and tripping over his own feet just trying to react. Kentaro bowing to the physicality of a real game, falling onto his behind after getting duped by a crossover. Satoro already out of breath, gasping for air, trying to at least pretend to play defense. It was embarrassing. It was pathetic.

It was glorious.

"So tell me… who can watch this, and not be moved?

Anzai hunkered forward in his seat, now no longer calm, and even Miyagi noticed the coaches' age, how his white hair was no longer just some symbol of the legendary "White-Haired Buddha" but how it was starting to thin at the top, how sweat dotted his forehead, how his stomach was swollen and he was definitely out of shape, the man needed to watch his health— and how his breathing was heavier than usual. He no longer seemed like a genius coach, but an aging, overweight teacher that still so loved a sport that he no longer played.

"Who can watch this… and not be moved?"

Miyagi bit his lip and lowered his head. Sakuragi and Rukawa were silent as they watched Kentaro hit the floor again, completely beaten by the sheer speed of Toshiya, the lenses of his glasses cracking. There was no stoppage in play. Another score for Daiei.

Kentaro stood up again and left his broken glasses on the other side of the court.

"Who can watch this…"

Bad offensive sequence. Daiei fast break. Hiroshi literally screaming for some help defense, his voice cracking and dying in mid-sentence from shouting defensive instructions to the others. Mitsui the first to react. Mitsui against two Daiei players. Mitsui drawing a charge, sacrificing his body. Thump on the floor. Blood on the deck. Whistle finally shrieking. The Shohoku bench erupting into cheers and gasps of concern.

Deafening noise.

"…and _not be moved_?!"

It was past two minutes. The game had gone on for nearly six, and yet, despite what had seemed disastrous to Miyagi, Shohoku was only behind by three points.

Three points.

Anzai lifted his head and turned to look at the scorers bench, ready to give orders. But Miyagi didn't even notice that, because he now understood. He finally saw it, and wondered why he had ever doubted this man.

The White-Haired Buddha. The White-Haired Devil.

A true basketball genius.

"Substitutions, please."


	61. Chapter 60

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Reviews:**

LOL I'M ALIVE?

Sorry guys, been super busy (not to mention it's now the NBA offseason! Hope you've all enjoyed the last NBA season and the playoffs!) and haven't really been writing at all. I haven't forgotten the story, so don't worry! I'll try to update whenever I can.

Onto reviews! Thanks to all of you—there were quite a number this time around! And to all the silent readers and people that have added me to their list, thanks and I hope you guys stick with my story!

Scyth3 – Thanks! I hope that I can keep the intensity level up for all my chapters from now on—I feel like I was lacking that "playoff atmosphere" until I hit the middle of the Sannoh game, so I think that everything is now just falling into place. Thanks for the review!

YLCourt – Glad to see that the chapter had impact. Yeah, Sakuragi and Rukawa are definitely not going to be best friends anytime soon, but they're slowly working more together and their relationship will hopefully improve as the story goes on. Thanks for reviewing!

Nigel – For real, son. B-ballers for life. I hope your ACL is better now and that you're up and about.

Addicted to SD – Thanks for always reading my story, and yep, here's the new chapter! D

Calliope Medina Erato – I'm glad that you still read my story and thank you for the compliments.

Laziness Incarnate – Couldn't have done it without ya, babe.(Seriously, your stuff still inspires me like whoa.)

Swordbunny4486 – Aw, thanks! Glad to see you liked it!

Sauchelli – Everyone seems to like that line, haha. Thanks for reviewing!

Axxiss – Thanks! I'll try my best!

MariesolSD – Glad to know it was moving! Thanks for reading and writing a review!

Man on the Side – Yeah, I write with sort of a "manga panel" thing in mind, because if I don't think like the Slam Dunk manga, it's harder for me to write. I'm glad that everything I wrote was easily pictured in your mind, because otherwise it wouldn't be a good story.

Thanks a lot for leaving the review, it means a lot to me!

Shooting Star 0160 – Thanks for the review! Glad you liked it!

Cookiemania789 – Thanks! Yes, I'll try and write about their personal lives during the arcs when games aren't going on, so look forward to it! Thanks for the review!

Magwise – Sorry to keep you waiting! And thanks for the review!

Zephyr-Angel – Aw, thank you! I appreciate it!

Jiece Reno – You have no idea how much I appreciated that review, and I honestly thank you for taking so much time to write your thoughts on the story, your analysis, and your criticism.

None of your criticisms were outlandish at all (seemed more like kind advice D). Some of the things you've suggested I've thought about and either decided not to do or felt like I couldn't do—the biggest of which is Rukawa's personality, which I always struggle to write and I absolutely agree that he has less personality than in the manga. I'll keep trying to nail his character as the writing continues.

Hiroshi was inspired from a mixture of Kogure and Akagi, but his basketball game is increasingly being based off "glue" guys for various NBA teams rather than a single player (I watch tape of guys like Shane Battier, Tayshaun Prince, etc. for inspiration); the players that have good offensive skill but instead recognize their place and devote their energy to defense and hustle plays. I'm always flattered when people say they like Hiroshi because I've stated it so many times: I hate writing OCs because I think in a way I'm infringing on Inoue Takehiko's universe. I'll try to give him some more development as the story goes on to the best of my ability, but I'm not sure if I'll emphasize it as much as the others.

As for your questions, here are the answers in order:

1. I have not because Youhei has given no indication of liking anyone in Haruko's gang in the manga. It would be convenient for him to hook up with one of them but I likely won't do it.

2. Akagi will show up eventually. When and where will also be revealed eventually. Just as a note to my readers—I do have the story planned out now, including the amount of matches left and how I plan on ending everything, so the only issue now is whether my schedule lets me finish writing in a timely manner. D

3. I wanted to do more Kogure interaction but I've been so "RAWR PLOT GOGOGO" that I haven't. Thanks for bringing it up and I'll see if I can get Kogure or one of the other players to talk a bit about college basketball.

4. Secret.

5. Secret.

6. Secret.

7. Yes.

Again, thanks for the review and I hope to see more from you soon. Thank you for reading my story.

Petshop17 – Huzzah! Thank you!

Crazyarsonist – Glad to see the story is gripping! I'm still re-editng the earlier chapters for spelling, grammar, and adding some small new dialogue and scenes in, so I'm glad that as a new reader you liked everything! Thanks for the review!

Kouri Saves the Day – The Kainan guys will show up eventually, I just have a hard time fitting in all the characters to see every single game. Thanks for the review, I really appreciate it! I take it you're a Kiyota fan?

Serenitatis417 – Your review was outstanding! It means a lot to me, so don't worry. D I'm really flattered by your comments, and will try and do my best! Thank you!

Champylin-taicho – I never forget that Sakuragi is essentially the main character, so don't worry! He'll have plenty of awesome scenes with the other Shohoku players. I'll keep doing my best!

LutraShinobi – Thank you so much for the review. I'm really humbled by your words and glad that you liked my writing. I do hope you can give basketball a chance (it's a great sport and always exciting!), and again, thanks for reading.

* * *

**Chapter 60 – Serious**

An awkward hush had settled in the gym as the crowd anxiously watched the other players converge on Mitsui. Dashes of blood decorated the floor, and a gash pooled blood down the side of Mitsui's face. The shooter's right eye was tightly shut to avoid the blood getting into his vision as Hiroshi grabbed Mitsui's free arm and hauled him to a sitting position.

"You all right?" The other players started to crowd around Mitsui, though the three Shohoku starters that had been sitting by Anzai's side were not in much of a hurry as they shed their warm-ups. Anzai was also giving Miyagi instructions, but no one was noticing this as the commotion caused by Mitsui's hard fall overshadowed everything.

Mitsui wiped his right eye before staring blankly at his bloodied hand, as if he couldn't believe it. However, he soon burst into a sardonic grin, instantly allaying any fears the others had been harboring.

"Damn. I just get back in, and now I'm going to get taken out. "

Toshiya had arrived on the scene, and as Hiroshi helped Mitsui up, the sickly shooting guard bowed his head in apology.

"Sorry," he coughed before Mitsui waved him off with his free hand, the other still cupped over his right eye.

"Sit tight, I'll be back in to throttle you as soon as possible."

The crowd politely cheered and applauded as Mitsui was helped off the court by Kentaro and Satoro, glad that there was no serious injury. As Mitsui passed by the three returning Shohoku starters and Kuwata, who was going in for Mitsui, he flashed them a quick grin and bumped fists with Miyagi.

"Give them hell."

"Just get your ass back out here," Miyagi grumbled, all business. The short guard quickly motioned for a huddle, gathering the other four players around him as he nodded in Daiei High's direction.

"Remember what Anzai-sensei said; this half we defend everything hard. We're switching back to man-to-man D, which is our strong point. I want quick switches when Daiei High goes off screens. Communicate with each other and don't do anything stupid or risky just because they play a bit slow. I know that we're all completely exhausted, but I'll set you guys up for some easy buckets so you don't have any excuses to slack on defense, got it?"

The team nodded, but before they could break out of the huddle, a quiet voice stopped them.

"Switch with me, rookie."

There was a brief pause before the others realized that it was Rukawa who had spoken.

"What?" Hiroshi's voice came out in a rasp, having lost it quite some time ago. Rukawa walked off before Hiroshi could offer any real complaint. The Shohoku ace quickly inbounded the ball and jogged downcourt, the two teams gearing up for the game again.

"Let's go, Shohoku!" Miyagi shouted as he handled the ball, using his free hand to direct traffic in the lane. The Shohoku bench, on the other hand, was preoccupied with celebrating the return of Satoro and Kentaro. The two were noticeably fatigued and as they took seats next to the coach Kentaro fumbled with his broken glasses, a forlorn expression on his face. Anzai gave the two of them gentle pats on the shoulder, dissolving their weariness and eliciting shocked looks on the two benchwarmers' faces.

"Well played."

"Thank you, sensei!" the two shouted in unison, after a brief pause. Ayako couldn't help but smile to herself as she began to busy herself with the grouchy Mitsui, who was already antsy about not being on the court.

Back on the floor, Miyagi shot a quick bounce pass to Sakuragi in the post and backed off to let the redhead go to work. Sakuragi took one dribble, testing Ken's defense before spinning off the elbow that had been holding him back, instantly drawing Anzai to his feet. The chubby coach pumped his fist in a rare display of approval, catching the rest of the bench's attention. Ayako glanced up briefly from tending Mitsui's cut, just in time to see Sakuragi take one gigantic step forward and blow past the recovering Ken. There was a thunderous slam as the redhead shoveled a two-hand dunk in, bringing the Shohoku supporters to their feet as well.

"Hell yeah!" Miyagi slapped hands with Kuwata even though he had nothing to do with the play, getting caught up in the action. Sakuragi pointed towards Miyagi, acknowledging the pass.

Meanwhile, Anzai returned to his seat, visibly excited. The players on the bench shot looks at each other, seeming to recognize the changing atmosphere. Ayako hid a smile before she turned back to her first-aid kit.

"Did you teach him that?" she asked conversationally.

"No," Mitsui replied, the answer catching the manageress off guard. "I only taught him moves… not when and where to do them."

The vice-captain laughed softly. "It's stupid, but I never thought people could get better in the middle of a match… but somewhere, somehow, Sakuragi just figures things out, as if it's the most natural thing for his body to do."

_Dr. T: You can do it too! Next time you're posting someone up in an isolation play, check which elbow is being used to hold you back. Spinning off the side of the elbow pins the defender's arms away from you and you can get an easy bucket!_

"Mitsui!"

The Shohoku bench turned towards the corridor, where the Sakuragi Army and Haruko had just appeared. Kogure and Haruko were the first to Ayako's side, the two looking concerned.

"Is he okay?" Haruko asked tentatively, reaching out to help. Ayako brushed the other manageress aside, though not unkindly.

"He's fine. It's nothing really serious and just looks worse than it is."

"Thank goodness!" Haruko heaved a sigh of relief as Kogure gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder. Mitsui nodded at the former vice-captain and Sakuragi's followers respectfully, but before more could be said, there was a murmur amongst the crowd as it dawned on them that it was now Hiroshi marking Tsuchiya on defense.

"Well, well…" Toshiya coughed, brushing Kuwata aside in annoyance, knowing that the smaller guard had no real way to guard him. "This is interesting…"

Everyone on the Shohoku bench seemed to have a similar reaction, except for the coach— Anzai seemed unsurprised at the abrupt change in defensive assignments as Hiroshi stood a few feet away from the Daiei High captain, opting to keep one eye on the other players in case they needed help defense.

"Did Rukawa get tired of guarding him?" Youhei wondered aloud. Mitsui shook his head.

"No… I don't think so," he mumbled, gathering his thoughts. "Rukawa has reasons for everything, but this is the first time Hiroshi is guarding a real star wing player… it's a pretty big gamble."

"Didn't he guard that guy on Shoyo?" Noma interjected. Mitsui winced as Ayako continued to treat his injury, the manageress carefully dabbing the blood away.

"He did… but Itou Taku was a guard that was far shorter and less talented than Tsuchiya. He's now guarding the star player on a legitimately strong team; the difference is immeasurable."

Tsuchiya was the first to make his move, abruptly racing down the lane to where the centers were. Hiroshi recovered near instantly, immediately taking his eyes off the others and switching his full attention to one-on-one defense in order not to lose Tsuchiya. Tsuchiya emerged on the other side of the court, open for the briefest of moments that caused Matsumaru to stop his dribble, ready to pass. However, a split second later, Hiroshi fought through the mass of bodies in the post and reached the other player just in time to deny the pass, stepping between Tsuchiya and the ball.

_Slower than Rukawa's defense,_ Mitsui observed, his eyes narrowing. _But Hiroshi's a lot more active… maybe not such a bad switch after all. But why would Rukawa do it now, when he turned down Hiroshi's suggestion for the switch earlier?_

Matsumaru changed targets and shot the ball over to Akihiro, who was actively bodying Rukawa. Rukawa was playing the power forward loose, encouraging Akihiro to shoot or drive the ball in rather than post him up.

"Heh," Akihiro grinned as he turned on his pivot foot before backing in to Rukawa, doing exactly what the ace didn't want. Meanwhile, Tsuchiya raced back to the other side of the court where Akihiro was, Hiroshi stumbling just a step behind him.

_Insane endurance,_ Hiroshi thought to himself, struggling to keep up. _Rukawa probably figured it out earlier, but this sort of floor spacing… the offense is designed for Tsuchiya!_

Akihiro wasted no further time and powered past Rukawa, the Shohoku ace pulling his hands back to avoid picking up a foul. There was a cry of frustration from the Rukawa Brigade as Akihiro laid the ball up.

"Get that shit out of here!" Sakuragi screamed, floating in from the weak side and smacking the ball off the backboard, stunning everyone on the court. Kuwata was the first to the ball, taking advantage of the fact that Toshiya had completely ignored him since he had entered the game.

"Nice plays, Hanamichi!" The Shohoku bench shouted in encouragement. Sakuragi ignored the cries of encouragement and instead focused his attention on Rukawa's failed defensive play.

"I don't see fouls being a problem for you," Sakuragi mumbled in a low voice, instantly falling into a faux-serious poker face in his attempt to emulate how Rukawa would talk. "Dou ahou."

The other three Shohoku players were very, very careful in hiding their laughter.

"Don't worry," Rukawa shrugged as he walked downcourt instead of jogging, not showing any visible reaction to the provocation. "All according to plan."

No one seemed to notice the comment, save for Miyagi, who seemed to be the only one that seemed to have some idea of what Rukawa was trying to do. However, he didn't say anything, instead taking a pass from Kuwata and slowing the pace, making sure the possession would result in points.

"Hey, Sakuragi! Further out, move!" Miyagi again motioned with his free hand as he directed the traffic of Shohoku's offense, completely taking over the role of floor general.

Sakuragi obediently took a few steps out. Noticing that Ken was opting not to move out to guard the redhead in anticipation of a drive, Miyagi shot a quick pass to Hiroshi, who had read the defense just as Miyagi had. Before his defender could react, Hiroshi shot a quick bounce pass to Sakuragi, who was now at a perfect forty-five degree angle from the basket. As if in slow motion, Sakuragi lifted into the air, Ken now realizing his mistake as the jump shot swished through the bottom of the net.

"I can do that too!" Sakuragi roared, thumping his chest as he backpedaled onto defense. "Come on, Pineapple Head! Guard me!"

_Leave your heart on the court._

The words abruptly came to Ayako's mind as she watched Sakuragi no longer childishly celebrating, but instead firing himself up, his competitive spirit intense.

"Those guys are serious," Mitsui chuckled from beside her, as if reading her thoughts. "In basketball, the team that hustles the most and plays with the most passion can overcome physical obstacles. We may be tired, but I'd say that our guys play with outright desperation."

Ayako had patched him up, and now a large bandage sat right above the shooter's brow. Mitsui took a swig of Pocari Sweat, a small smile on his face.

"Sakuragi may not know it… but right now, he's the rising star of centers in the Inter-Highs. He's probably the best Kanagawa center, even if that's not saying too much."

Haruko, who had since calmed down since Mitsui's injury, now had a look of awe on her face, as if Sakuragi's play was something entirely shocking to her. Kogure glanced down at her to see that her bottom lip was quivering, ever so slightly.

"Sannoh… just like against Sannoh…" Haruko managed, a well of emotions now at the forefront. The others were silent, her observation spot-on: if anyone had been moved by Anzai words earlier, it was now Sakuragi who was again the first to step up.

"Kyaa! Rukawa!" The Rukawa Brigade shouted in alarm, their idol again getting posted up by Akihiro. It was clear that Daiei High was taking advantage of the mismatch as much as possible, the lanky Shohoku ace unable to overpower the stronger power forward.

_What is this…_ Tsuchiya thought, watching Rukawa slowly giving way under Akihiro's strength, the power forward inching ever closer to the basket. Hiroshi was again on full alert, a few paces away from Tsuchiya in case he needed to switch out but not far enough that he couldn't recover if Tsuchiya immediately made an action. However, Tsuchiya had no intention of moving without the ball this time, instead deep in thought as he watched Rukawa take a shot to the mouth that went unnoticed by the referee. _Are you an idiot? You weren't playing poorly against me, and you decide to switch onto Akihiro… you're clearly weaker than him._

"Why'd they put you on me?" Akihiro mumbled unhappily, echoing Tsuchiya's thoughts as he shot the ball back out to Matsumaru. The burly power forward seemed ready to just force his way in against Rukawa without the ball. Rukawa was silent, not minding the earlier uncalled foul or Akihiro's rough play as the power forward got the ball again for the re-post, now a few precious inches shorter to the basket. It was only three more steps before he would be under the basket for an easy score.

"You guys are going to regret it. First I'm going to dunk in your face…" Akihiro bumped Rukawa with his behind, knocking the wind out of Rukawa for a brief second as the power forward managed one step closer.

"Then I'll slam one down on that cocky redhead," Akihiro continued, clearly having not forgotten Sakuragi's earlier insult. Rukawa made a half-hearted swipe at the ball, but Akihiro was protecting it adequately enough to prevent the steal. Akihiro backed one more step, pinning the ace's arm down with sheer weight alone. Akihiro grinned, now feeling close enough to the basket to make a move—

—only to abruptly find he couldn't force his way in anymore.

"What?" Tsuchiya rose out of his offensive stance, not that Hiroshi even seemed to notice, as just like the others, a part of him had seemed resigned to the fact that Rukawa wouldn't be able to stop Akihiro. However, it quickly dawned on Hiroshi that line of thinking had been foolhardy—if the physically weaker and less experienced Hiroshi had managed to keep Akihiro down to such a poor offensive showing today, then naturally Rukawa…

Rukawa had lowered his waist to keep his center of gravity low, just as Sakuragi had done before—his base was solid, and he was keeping himself lower than Akihiro. A forearm and a hand was rested on Akihiro's back, giving Rukawa the chance to maneuver the power forward around. Akihiro, who was now frustrated he had not been able to back Rukawa down for the last step, quickly tried to execute a drop-step to the baseline.

"Drop…!" Mitsui was about to shout, only to see that Rukawa had read it, instantly cutting off Akihiro's first post move. Even Sakuragi's eyes widened in shock as he watched Rukawa's surprisingly good post defense, forcing Akihiro to throw up a wild shot that clanged off the front of the rim. However, the redhead instantly recovered, dashing around Ken and snatching the defensive rebound before the others could recover. However, before the Shohoku fast break could start, the referee's whistle pierced the air and Sakuragi turned around just in time for Rukawa to come crashing into him. Sakuragi dropped the ball and managed to grab Rukawa, a scowl instantly surfacing when he realized that he had helped his greatest rival.

"Oi, fox! What are you…" Sakruagi trailed off to see that Akihiro, wide-eyed with a mixture of shock and anger, was being held back by his other teammates as Rukawa kept his emotionless gaze locked on him.

It didn't take much for the redhead to piece together what had happened while he had snagged the rebound.

"Not taking me seriously…?!" Akihiro managed in a quavering voice, about to advance before Tsuchiya was in front of Akihiro, a cold gaze similar to Rukawa's now being directed at his teammate.

"Calm down." Tsuchiya's words were even, but extremely authoritative and left no room for argument. "Take a breather."

Rukawa pushed off Sakuragi, unhurt from Akihiro's shove. The other Shohoku members were quiet as Akihiro finally lowered his head and nodded, stalking off the bench.

"He was playing bad the whole match against our frontline. Denied by Hiroshi, Sakuragi, and now Rukawa. It must have hurt… to realize that he couldn't do anything," Ayako said quietly from her position next to Mitsui, the shooting guard silent.

Tsuchiya brushed past the others, approaching Miyagi near the sidelines as everyone on the court and in the audience calmed.

"You messed with one of my teammates. I don't think I can just let that go," Tsuchiya said, his voice tight. Miyagi nodded, hands on his hips.

"You have the right to be angry. But I'm not ashamed to say that I can see why Rukawa did what he did… I would have done the same," Miyagi grinned his trouble-making grin, not the least bit guilty.

Tsuchiya managed a mirthless chuckle as the scorer's table motioned that substitutions were being made.

Hiromu Soritachi, for Daiei High.

Mitsui Hisashi, for Shohoku High.

Miyagi's grin widened as the audience began to come back to life, a rippling of excitement now gathering force.

"We want to beat you down at your full power, you see."

The Daiei High captain nodded, walking off onto defense.

"No hard feelings, I hope. Especially when you guys lose."

_51-50, Shohoku's lead._

The Shohoku High captain walked off to get the inbounds, ready for offense.

_Twelve minutes left._

"We'll see about that."


	62. Chapter 61

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Reviews:**

A small notice:

I've specifically re-edited Chapter 19 (Shohoku's loss to Ryonan) to make sure Hiroshi's backstory makes sense in the context of this chapter, which is not only long (hence the somewhat long wait for this! Sorry!) but fully fleshes out Hiroshi's past. If you would all like, you can re-read it if you've forgotten how Hiroshi was coerced into the Shohoku team. Hope you all enjoy it!

This is a very long chapter, so you've all been warned. Now, onto the reviews!

Swordbunny4486 – Thank you!

Den077 – Unfortunately, the amount of "action" in this chapter may not be what you wanted, but I'll make it up to you in later chapters. Thanks again for the review!

Addicted to SD – Alas, I have let down your expectations and took an ungodly amount of time to finish this chapter! I apologize… but thanks for always reading my story! I'm always so happy to see my old readers still sticking with it.

Serenitatis417 – Full throttle indeed, as you'll see in this chapter. Thanks a lot for your review!

Oneofacharacter – No, I don't write yaoi because SD was never about that. However, I do know there's lots of yaoi fics. on , so just search around!

G – As explained in the story (canon and here), Mitsui stays back for the winter session to keep playing with the team. Though it's summer in my story, I've always personally assumed that because Mitsui did not take the college entrance exams he has to wait for the next cycle before applying, so he is still in high school and still playing basketball.

Jiece Reno – Once again, thanks for all your kind words, criticisms, and most importantly, a well-thought out review. All writers love reviews, as you well know.

The length of the chapter is something that I've kept constant throughout all my chapters (around 3000 words each chapter these days—the very early chapters were much less), so I probably won't make it longer unless I have a lot of things going on in the chapter that I feel wouldn't have impact if I moved it to the next chapter or if there really is something that I want to finish writing while it's fresh in my mind (as is the case with this chapter). I just feel comfortable writing this amount and I think that some people get bogged down reading too much basketball (someone mentioned that in my reviews a while back, and I took it to heart).

I absolutely reread my chapters for the simple fact that as you mentioned, I do forget details and I need to keep tally of scores and stuff for the final stats sheet at the end of the basketball matches. Not to mention I'm still re-editing all the older chapters, so it's just natural that I go back sometimes. It's good advice for long stories, particularly like the one I'm writing right now.

And now now… I didn't admit anything about Hiroshi Morishige or that old coach of his actually playing Shohoku. We'll have to see how far Shohoku gets first. =D

Thanks again for your review, it means a lot to me.

Kiku – Thank you! I'll try to update whenever I have time.

YLCourt – Yep! I won't give up on this story for the foreseeable future. If I really give up on it, I'll inform all of you, obviously.

Rukawa provoked the other team so he could fight them at full power and even though Sakuragi does not outwardly react to it in that chapter or this, all of the Shohoku players in their own way also wanted to see Daiei High at their best or else the victory wouldn't mean as much. So Sakuragi approves, or at least, I think he does.

Yep! Good luck to Shohoku! Thanks for reviewing again!

Rhy Alexiel – Here's the update! Sorry to keep you waiting. Thanks for reviewing!

Nigel – What's up man?

Glad to hear you're getting better. Congrats on leading your team so deep into the tourney! I wish you success in the next season. Keep dominating! Be sure to keep us all updated on your progress.

Yeah, the NBA Finals were pretty wild, as was the NBA season in general! But the new season is here, so you'll have a lot to look forward to I hope! Thanks for reviewing, man!

Migo – Thanks! I indeed live and I'm delighted to see you are as well. Thank you for always reading my story and know that it means a lot to me that you take the time to give my writing a whirl! I hope you're doing okay and thanks again for the review!

SilverPink – Aw, thanks a lot for your review! I'm flattered.

I hope that Shohoku wins too, but Daiei High just won't go quietly, will they? I suppose they'll have to see the boys at their full power to realize the difference in strength…

I hope to resolve all love triangles and pairings by the end of my story, just so I don't have any loose ends. Again, thanks a lot for taking the time to review my story!

Iron Duke – Thanks for catching that man! I'll go back and edit the right name in when I have time. Thanks for telling me!

Erize - Merci beaucoup! J'ai etudie du francais quand j'etais petit. Votre angalis est tres bien!

That's probably the limit of my French, but thanks a lot for the review! I'm happy that you think this is a worthy sequel and I'll try my best to keep writing a good story for you all to enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 61 – Kawasaki Hiroshi**

Kazuo Hiroshi was standing in the corner of the court, nearly out of bounds and completely out of the Shohoku offense.

Right now, that seemed to be the best move to make. Any coach or player, if they could read Hiroshi's thoughts, would have in some way or another agreed with this decision. He knew that he was in foul trouble and the Shohoku offense was not particularly designed for the inclusion of Hiroshi anyway. They had the post-up of Sakuragi, the mid-range game of Rukawa, the three-point shooting of Mitsui, and the blazing drives of Miyagi. All the bases were covered, so to speak. There were plenty of offensive options—why should he, of all people, risk an offensive foul? After all, Hiroshi was not a lights-out shooter like Mitsui, a rebounding and emerging post-up beast like Sakuragi, a quick-thinking and crafty ball-handler like Miyagi, nor a talented explosive scorer like Rukawa. He was what Rukawa's father had called "competent" at his skills, a type that could be relied on for consistency but not brilliance, not really. He was a mortal on a team of monsters.

Kiminobu Kogure would have been able to relate to this.

Miyagi was making his move, raising his hand to motion for a play. Hiroshi knew what it would be—a give-and-go between Rukawa and Miyagi, a brilliant little sequence that Anzai had come up with when they wanted to fully utilize the unparalleled speed of Miyagi with the underrated passing ability of Rukawa. Hiroshi was just fine where he was, away from the action. He needed to catch his breath, anyway—he was tired, worn out from the earlier full-court trap and the stress of having to keep Shohoku's lead from completely slipping away when the others had been benched.

Hiroshi was a student of the game, constantly learning strategy, little moves he could get away with, different types of offensive and defensive sets and how to counter them. His basketball IQ could easily be assessed as being astoundingly high for a rookie, though Hiroshi himself didn't know it. So yes, the move he was making was essentially the right one—Hiroshi knew his strength was defense, and that was what he was on the floor for. He should stay out of the way of the others and help floor spacing so the others could score. Simple.

And there it was, the give-and-go between Rukawa and Miyagi. Miyagi shoveled a pass down to Rukawa, who was posting up on Tsuchiya. Miyagi quickly left Matsumaru in the dust and cut for the basket, the Shohoku ace whipping a no-look pass as Miyagi dove right for the rim and made a quick floater to extend Shohoku's lead to 53-50.

_Amazing,_ Hiroshi thought to himself, again struck by the sheer ingenuity of Anzai, the ability of the coach to come up with plays that utilized each of the players' respective strengths. However, now wasn't the time to mull over it—it was time to play defense and this was his time to contribute.

As the Shohoku members jogged down the court, the others giving Miyagi and Rukawa brief congratulations, Hiroshi was quick to realize that he would now have to guard Hiromu. It was the most logical move—Tsuchiya's frighteningly good stamina would run Hiroshi into the ground in only a matter of minutes, while Toshiya was far too sly and experienced for the rookie to handle.

"Hey Hiroshi," Miyagi said, brushing sweat from his brow as the Daiei High team approached. "Hiromu's yours, okay?"

"Yeah."

"Shouldn't be a problem for you, right?" Miyagi offered the rookie an encouraging smile before racing back to the half-court line to pressure the opposing point guard.

_It will be,_ Hiroshi thought, knowing that Miyagi and the others recognized this fact as well. Hiromu had been the one to put Hiroshi in foul trouble in the first place. The Daiei High's sixth man had a gift for making seemingly impossible drives result in flashy scores, and even Mitsui had had difficulty guarding the "Sparkplug."

Hiromu was here. Hiroshi was quick to shadow him, standing about an arm's length away so Hiromu would not have enough space to easily pull up for a shot nor leave Hiroshi with too little space to recover in case Hiromu attacked the basket. Matsumaru reached the three-point line, still enduring the pesky defense of Miyagi as he considered Daiei High's offensive options.

Hiromu took one step too far towards the baseline. Hiroshi instantly rotated in front of the sixth man, hands held out as he was able to now stand more easily between the ball and the person he was guarding, daring Hiromu to either drive towards the basket where the congestion would be or to try and go back out for a more difficult jump shot.

Hiromu chose the former, racing right for the rim. Hiroshi was instantly after him, trying to stick with Hiromu so that he could put pressure on the sixth man if he got a pass. The two weaved under the basket and back to the opposite side, dancing around the other players before passing by the Rukawa-Tsuchiya duo, the two locked in the same type of endurance battle as Hiroshi and Hiromu.

Oops. Tsuchiya had the ball now. Hiroshi hadn't noticed the pass. Offensive possibilities raced through Hiroshi's mind briefly, not long enough to really influence any decision because basketball was far too fast to sit there and just think. All he could do was read that they were too far out now—the two were getting relatively close to the three-point line and Hiromu just did not seem to be the type that would like outside shots.

A drive. That seemed likely. Maybe some sort of post-up for Toshiya, too. Hiroshi backed off a bit from Hiromu, anticipating it while keeping an eye on Rukawa and Tsuchiya, ready to rotate over if Rukawa needed help.

Tsuchiya was putting the ball on the floor. Hiromu, in the corner of Hiroshi's eye, was now inching towards the center of the court, drawing the Shohoku rookie away from help defense at the side.

Hiroshi briefly entertained the thought of helping Rukawa and putting a double-team on Tsuchiya, but Hiromu was far too dangerous and Rukawa far too prideful for him to do something like that. Hiroshi took one step away from the aces and mirrored Hiromu, keeping the Sparkplug in his sights.

Tsuchiya was making his move. The post was strangely congested, something that no one had bothered to notice until the Daiei High ace started to race for the opposite side of the floor and hopefully leave Rukawa behind. Hiroshi was quick to realize the Daiei High plan—Rukawa was so fixated on Tsuchiya that he had no way to see behind him and observe just how the Daiei High players were positioning themselves, all to let their ace get a brief look at the basket. Tsuchiya would be free to pass the ball off if someone rotated over to double-team or take the shot if he had time. In whatever case, Daiei High would have a mismatch—they would create a weakness in Shohoku where there had been none. Completely different from what Hiroshi had anticipated.

Too far to do anything about it. Had to stick with Hiromu and—where'd he go?

In the mere second that Hiroshi had diverted his attention away, Hiromu was already cutting for the basket. A second on the basketball court is the world.

"It's a pass! Rukawa!" Mitsui shouted, reading the play just as Hiroshi had, perhaps even earlier as Mitsui waited for the last possible moment before he would rotate over to defend Tsuchiya.

"Lost my man!" Hiroshi shouted, his voice cracking again as he raced to catch up. Too much strain on his throat from earlier. Doesn't matter—had to alert Rukawa. Communication on the court is of utmost importance.

Rukawa couldn't react in time, running right into a Ken screen. Sakuragi had done a poor job of alerting Rukawa of the screen, but it couldn't be helped—the redhead didn't know how to interpret plays. Tsuchiya lifted into the air before dropping the ball off to Hiromu, the sixth man a step ahead of Hiroshi. Sakuragi now knew what was going on and completely left Ken, becoming the only one between Hiromu and the basket.

"Fly swatter!" Sakuragi shouted, leaping impossibly high into the air before Hiromu even made a move. Absolutely horrible decision. Hiromu easily dribbled around Sakuragi and made a soft-layup.

"Dumbass!" Miyagi was the first to kick Sakuragi in the rear as soon as the redhead had landed. "Don't just jump around like that! He didn't even fake you!"

Hiroshi closed his eyes and paced away from the group. Not at all Sakuragi's fault to begin with, and everyone but Sakuragi himself knew it.

"Don't mind it," Mitsui said, now at Hiroshi's side. It seemed Mitsui was, fairly uncharacteristically, giving Hiroshi some comfort. "Guy's quick."

"Yeah," Hiroshi managed, wearily breaking into a jog to get back onto offense. It had been wasted effort—a chance for Hiroshi to contribute and all he had to show for it was heavier legs and a smaller Shohoku lead. He took his spot in the corner again and tried desperately just to catch his breath.

Hiroshi didn't know how much longer he could keep this up.

* * *

"Let's get the points back!" Miyagi shouted, handling the ball back upcourt. Miyagi handed the ball off quickly to Mitsui, who was calling for it. The shooter considered Toshiya for a brief moment before throwing a pass down to Sakuragi.

"Nice choice!" Sakuragi chortled, straightening up to feel Ken's weight behind him. Sakuragi leaned down and abruptly tried a dropstep, only for Ken to read it and instantly rotate over to keep the athletic redhead from going in.

"Foolish!" Sakuragi, undeterred, immediately lifted into the air for a jump shot, completely underestimating Ken's own athleticism as the center's Mohawk filled his vision, swatting the ball right back out. Rukawa managed to recover the ball before a triple-team collapsed on him instantly.

"Rukawa!" Mitsui shouted, a hand up now that Toshiya had rotated off him to triple-team. Amazingly, Rukawa somehow managed to shoot a bounce pass through the mass of bodies that had collapsed onto him, the wide-open Mitsui now having a clear look at the basket. Mitsui quickly shot a three-pointer, the ball just rimming out as Ken boxed Sakuragi out and took the defensive rebound.

"That's mine, Pineapple Head!" Sakuragi growled. Ken held the ball out, as if offering it to him.

"No, don't do it Ken!" the Daiei High bench shouted in alarm, Tsuchiya appearing at Ken's side just in the nick of time to pluck it away before Sakuragi could have it.

"Remember, don't give the ball away to the opposing team."

"Right, oya-bun," Ken mumbled, dashing back off to offense. The entire sequence just left Sakuragi in a fouler mood than before, the redhead steaming as everyone moved to the other side of the court.

"All you can do is sit around and block me, eh?" Sakuragi wasted no time in needling the other center once he had joined Ken down in the post. "They call me the Tensai back in Kanagawa, you know?"

"Oh?" Ken gave Sakuragi a somewhat amused look, the two not paying attention to the fact that Matsumaru was driving in towards the basket after using a Toshiya screen.

"Yeah! And so if you keep—"

"Sakuragi, PAY ATTENTION!"

"What?" Sakuragi turned just in time to see Mitsui stumble a half step too slow, unable to reach Matsumaru as the Daiei High point guard lifted into the air for a lay-up. Sakuragi shot up like a pogo stick, ready for the block—but was never given the chance to do so, as Matsumaru dumped off a mid-air pass right to Ken, who threw down an authoritative two-handed dunk.

"We got the lead!" The Daiei High bench cheered, the scores clicking to 54-53.

"DUMBASS!" Miyagi roared, giving Sakuragi another kick in the rear as the other Shohoku players quickly moved away to avoid the diminutive guard's wrath. "Guard the basket! Guard it! You're the anchor of our defense!"

In response to the acts of aggression, Sakuragi grabbed Miyagi in a tight headlock and proceeded to drag the guard upcourt, obviously not pleased at himself or the criticisms the captain was offering him. "Shut up, Ryo-chin! I got distracted, is all! Next time it will be easy to crush him!"

Rukawa, who had taken the role of handling the ball to the opposite side of the court, dropped it off for Miyagi before he could get attacked with a triple-team and moved back into his typical offensive position. As the Shohoku offense set up, Miyagi considered his options for a brief moment before meeting eyes with Mitsui. The diminutive guard pointed in front of him and to the side of Matsumaru, indicating that Miyagi wanted the shooting guard to set a screen. Mitsui dashed over and Miyagi blazed around the Shohoku vice-captain, causing a defensive switch as Matsumaru was left behind and Toshiya was forced to defend the much faster point guard.

"Fast! Too fast!" the Daiei High bench noticed as Miyagi was easily able to get almost a full step on Toshiya. With a quick crossover, Miyagi faked a behind-the-back pass with one hand before using the elbow of his opposing arm to knock the ball to a streaking Rukawa.

"What was that?!" the crowd roared, the legendary elbow-pass drawing a huge cry of approval. Rukawa instantly stopped in place, using Tsuchiya's forward momentum against the Daiei High captain as Rukawa was able to find himself open for a brief second. Without missing a beat, the Shohoku ace leapt into the air and shot a quick jump shot, which unfortunately missed.

"Rebound!" Mitsui shouted, instantly riling up Sakuragi as the redhead bumped into Ken to get better position.

"This one's mine, Pineapple Head!" Sakuragi exclaimed triumphantly, using his body to clear out Ken so there would be more space to snatch the board. However, Sakuragi soon felt a heavy weight bearing down on his back… and in the next instant Ken was holding the ball in his hands. It instantly dawned on Sakuragi that Ken had prevented the redhead from exploding to catch the rebound by pinning the two down with body weight.

"Damn you, Pine—"

"FAST BREAK!" Miyagi screamed, stopping Sakuragi mid-sentence as the other players realized that Matsumaru had dashed off, the less athletic Mitsui unable to fully keep up as Miyagi had for most of the game. Although Miyagi burst into a sprint after his former playmate, the ball was already soaring through the air, Ken having enough instincts to instantly notice the free man and launch a baseball pass downcourt.

"Back!" Miyagi barked, waving Mitsui and Rukawa off so the two could conserve their energy rather than spend it chasing down Matsumaru. Miyagi managed to make it to the opposing three-point line before slowing, knowing he couldn't catch up as Matsumaru went for the easy lay-in. In an instant, the scores were now 56-53, Daiei High's lead.

Matsumaru shot Miyagi a sidelong glance after he tapped the ball to a referee. "I told you. Street play doesn't work on the real courts."

"You forget your roots?" Miyagi grinned, trying to lighten the competitive atmosphere. Matsumaru would have none of it and brushed past his friend.

"Nah. Getting this flashy with the game this tight? You forgot your own, man."

Miyagi's features darkened as Mitsui caught up, ready to inbound the ball. However, in his own way, Miyagi knew what Matsumaru meant—the elbow pass had been a bit overboard, given the seriousness of the match and the fact that it wasn't even a fast break.

A brief mental lapse, that's all it was… maybe.

"Oi. Ball," Mitsui warned, bouncing the ball back onto the court. Miyagi shook off the thoughts, assuming his role as captain again as he motioned for a play.

Tsuchiya, meanwhile, kept a careful eye on Rukawa, having been the most surprised out of all the others when he saw the Shohoku ace completely botch a rare wide-open jumper.

_My suspicions were right,_ Tsuchiya thought to himself, hearing Rukawa labor for breath. _Rukawa burned himself out in the first half, keeping Shohoku in it. Now's the best time for us to take the game back into our hands._

"Ken," Tsuchiya said softly, instantly drawing both the attention of the giant Mohawked center and the redhead standing next to him. "Guard the basket for sure this time. Okay?"

"Right, oya-bun," Ken answered obediently, maneuvering so that he was side-by-side with Sakuragi. The mere gall that Tsuchiya had shown in implying that Shohoku wouldn't be able to score simply because Daiei High wished for it instantly drew the redhead's wrath as his hand shot into the air to catch Miyagi's attention.

"To me!" Sakuragi roared, his eyes burning with competition. Miyagi gave Sakuragi a blank stare, clearly having had no intentions of running a post-up play.

_Sakuragi is having some trouble with that other punk,_ Mitsui noted, irritatingly taking a step away from Toshiya's off-the-ball defense. _That Ken kid... a prototype center, except with a very limited post game. Sakuragi may have more offensive experience, but Ken seems to be faster in terms of pure raw speed on offense and defense. Given that everything else seems to be about equal, it's no wonder that Sakuragi is struggling a bit. _

"All right, Hanamichi!" Miyagi shouted, having made up his mind as he lobbed an entry pass into Sakuragi. Everyone else converged away towards the other side of the court except for Mitsui, who still remained as an offensive outlet if Sakuragi decided to pass the ball back out.

Sakuragi did his standard routine of leaning back, testing how much strength Ken was committing to keeping him out of the post. Realizing that Ken was pushing against him quite strongly, Sakuragi took a dribble before taking a long stride towards his side, intent on trying some sort of spin move. Feeling Ken's arms no longer pressed against his back, the redhead swung his head down low and spun so that his body was now facing the basket, prepared to just bulldoze his way in for a lay-up.

"_You will be going against some of the best high school centers in all of Japan." Do you understand my words now, Sakuragi?_

"He read the play!" Mitsui shouted in warning, Sakuragi realizing it at nearly the same time as the vice-captain as the redhead involuntarily froze, seeing that Ken had not given him space but instead had instantly closed the gap that had been created from the spin.

"Out! Out!" Miyagi commanded, pointing towards Mitsui who had sprung into action and was trying to get in a good position for a pass. However, Toshiya kept a tight defense on him, making a pass back out to the arc a risky decision.

There was a red blur that blew right past Ken and Sakuragi, with another figure following the blur a second later as everyone realized that Rukawa, hugging the out of bounds line, had raced over to try and give Shohoku another offensive weapon. However, just as Sakuragi was about to pass to his rival, Tsuchiya managed to squeeze between the pass route and Sakuragi was left with only one option—turn the ball over or risk the shot.

"Damnit!" Sakuragi yelled in frustration, heaving up a wild shot that barely made it over Ken's outstretched fingertips. Hiromu raced in from the opposite end of the basket to snag the defensive rebound, Hiroshi a step slow behind him.

"Back on defense! Go!" Miyagi ordered, backpedaling to prevent a fast-break. Fortunately, Daiei seemed to have no intentions of doing so and Miyagi visibly relaxed after crossing the half-court line. Miyagi clapped his hands together and pointed at Sakuragi.

"It's okay! Just get back on defense!"

While Sakuragi obeyed, his smooth-sailing dreams of rising to the upper echelons of Japanese high school centers were now wavering.

_This guy boxes me out, blocks my shots… what's going on?!_ Sakuragi thought in frustration, bumping Ken with his hip out of spite as the two raced towards the other side of the court.

"They're falling apart," Maki mumbled from his place in the stands, sitting along with the other Kanagawa all-star group. Hanagata nodded in agreement, the former star center of Shoyo looking as serious as ever.

"It really seems like if this run goes on any longer, Shohoku is going to lose. They are always in attack mode and now that their attack options don't work, they find themselves with a complete lack of teamwork. Always running one-on-ones," Hanagata scoffed, adjusting his glasses. "When are they going to realize that you can't always win with just individual strengths alone? They're so predictable."

"It's not _that_ bad," Fujima spoke up, interrupting Hanagata's analysis. Hanagata, startled that his friend and former captain had disagreed with him for once, gave Fujima a prodding stare.

"But they don't have any change of pace. Shohoku's greatest weakness has always been the lack of a bench."

Fujima offered Hanagata an ambivalent glance before turning his attention to the court, choosing his words carefully as he explained his reasoning.

"You say that because that's what's important to you. I always upgraded our team when I came into the game from coaching. But let's be honest, here. Shohoku has no sixth man, but they have an unpredictable element in their lineup, just like last year with Sakuragi." Fujima glanced over at Jin for confirmation. "That rookie. I saw him play a few times, but you actually got to be with him down there on the court."

Jin nodded, recalling the numerous defensive plays that Hiroshi made and his final steal of the game against Kainan. "Yes… he's quite the unpredictable one, in terms of performance."

"But at his best?"

Again, the memory of Hiroshi's miraculous steal against him, coming from the blindside and having enough sense to not only knock the ball out of Jin's hands but also back to Shohoku's basket floated into Jin's head. Jin leaned back in his chair, a troubled look on his face.

"His best… I don't know who to compare him to. We've seen defensive stoppers before, but the rookie has a full offensive repertoire as well. He's far more dangerous than anyone can really give him credit for if he can mesh perfectly with the other four players. To be honest, it was the same with Sakuragi: we never knew what the full strength of Shohoku was until the Sannoh game, where everyone on their team really clicked. So what you're implying, I think—that Shohoku's starting five is so strong that they don't need anything more than a few capable bench players that can give their starters a breather—is something that I can't say I'd agree with until I saw some evidence."

Fujima nodded, agreeing with every word Jin said.

"The rookie is different from a traditional offensive sixth man," Fujima said. "He's a role player. He can never be a star like Sendoh or Maki—"

"Or me or you," Takeshi joked. Fujima ignored the comment and continued speaking.

"The rookie just doesn't have that sort of athleticism or gift in his play—he wasn't born with any great talents. But what separates a star from a role player is that anyone can be a good role player. If a role player plays well, he makes everyone on his team stronger by virtue of excelling at certain tasks that will make a difference on the court. This game has the worst play I've seen from the rookie by far and not just because of his limited minutes. I don't know what's wrong with him. His play is just nothing that makes the other team worry—and as a starter for a team like Shohoku with no bench, he needs to play well or Shohoku may be too far behind once this run is over."

"How would Hasegawa do against that Hiromu?" Maki smiled, trying to lighten the serious conversation some. Fujima couldn't help but grin at the mention of Hasegawa Kazuki, the defensive stopper for Shoyo that had tried to lock down Mitsui.

"Hasegawa?" Fujima's smile grew wider. "Hiromu wouldn't score a single point against him, of course."

The others laughed at Fujima's bold assertion, but Jin instead pondered the scenario over in his head again.

_Yes… Shohoku at their full strength this year… just how strong can they really be?_

_

* * *

_

Meanwhile, Hiroshi was at the utter limits of his strength.

The young power forward's breaths were sharp and labored as he kept an eye on Hiromu, displeased that the Sparkplug looked completely fresh from having been on the bench for the start of the second half. Just as Hiroshi feared, Matsumaru and the other Daiei High players were picking up on to just how tired Hiroshi was and the ball was quick to find its way into Hiromu's hands, forcing the Shohoku defender to ready himself.

_He's not fast. I can stay in front for sure,_ Hiroshi thought to himself, crouching low and keeping his eyes focused on the center of Hiromu's stomach so he wouldn't be faked out by any sort of dribble tricks or head fakes. _The question is whether I can stop him before he gets to the rim…_

Hiromu sized Hiroshi up for a brief second before exploding for the basket, trying to beat Hiroshi with his athleticism alone. It almost succeeded, except Hiroshi had managed to predict the direction of the drive based on the opposing foot Hiromu had been on, giving the freshman just those few precious milliseconds of preparation—if he had not, the Daiei High sixth man would have already left him in the dust.

_Fast! Way faster than earlier! _Hiroshi realized, a part of his brain screaming caution as he tried to keep a safe distance so he wouldn't be called for his last foul and be thrown out of the game.

_Can't foul out now! Too much time left! If I go out—_

Hiroshi was so focused on guarding Hiromu that he was unaware of the shouts of warning from Mitsui and in the next instant he ran full force into Ken, getting literally knocked to the floor by the pick. There was an audible thump as his body collided with the ground, some members of the crowd gasping out of concern. There were more shouts above him as Hiroshi raised his hands up, instinctively trying to protect himself from being stepped on.

"Hiroshi!" The Shohoku bench shouted in alarm, seeing just how hard the pick had been but unable to do anything about it as Hiromu flew past Ken and was left in a one-on-one situation with Sakuragi. The redhead was much more patient this time, not leaving his feet as he tried his best to fulfill his role as the last line of defense between the Sparkplug and the basket.

_What just happened? A pick?_ Hiroshi thought dazedly, stars still filling his vision as he realized that no one was immediately in his vicinity. He managed to push himself up just in time to see, out of the corner of his eye, Hiromu perform a difficult double-pump lay-up in mid-air to avoid getting blocked by Sakuragi. The ball banked off the backboard and the scores changed to 58-53.

Large sections of the crowd erupted into cheers, sensing the changing momentum. The Rukawa Brigade had fallen silent, as had most of the Shohoku supporters in the stands. Hiroshi shook his head and shakily brought himself back onto his feet, gritting his teeth with the effort.

"You okay, Hiro?" Sakuragi asked worriedly, the redhead giving Hiroshi an encouraging pat on the rear. Hiroshi ignored Sakuragi and dragged his feet forward, moving onto offense as quickly as he could. Tried to give off the image to Anzai that he didn't need to be subbed, not yet, _not yet._

As soon as he crossed the half-court line, Hiroshi started to just walk instead of jog, his breaths heavy. Hiromu gave the tired freshman one brief glance before looking towards Tsuchiya for guidance, silently asking if he could switch off. The Daiei High captain made a small shaking movement with his head, indicating that they wouldn't be taking chances.

Hiroshi stopped slightly off-center from the three-point line, trying to pretend to still be an offensive threat as the Shohoku offense set up. Miyagi was barking out another play, one that didn't involve Hiroshi—the Shohoku captain was able to gauge the usefulness of all his players, just as Tsuchiya had in substituting Akihiro earlier.

Hiroshi was nothing more than a decoy now. The knowledge of this didn't bother Hiroshi, but it certainly didn't help his spirits any.

_Can barely lift my legs… what is this… I was on the bench the entire first half…_

His ears were slowly deafening from sheer exhaustion, a very slight ringing the only auditory company left. His mind seemed disconnected from his body—Hiroshi felt like he was muddling through a viscous liquid, with each movement of his limbs a struggle. The feeling was a familiar one—the fatigue that came from reaching his physical limits.

Through the ringing, he could distantly hear Miyagi shouting out commands to the other players. Hiroshi closed his eyes for a few seconds, hands on his knees, trying to focus again.

He opened his eyes just in time to see Hiromu steal a pass that had been meant for Mitsui.

"Fast break!" Miyagi warned as everyone instantly reacted, all the players surging to the opposite side. Hiroshi turned around and broke into a full sprint, everyone a few steps slow behind Hiromu, who had a clear path to the basket.

"Someone get it!" Haruko and Ayako shouted from the bench, the rest of the Shohoku team panicked at the prospect of Daiei High widening their lead any further.

_I'm closest,_ Hiroshi realized somewhere in the back of his mind. No one else was running alongside him—the only person in front of him, his only target, was Hiromu himself. _I'm closest, I have to stop this, I have to—_

"Sakuragi! You don't have to run!" Hiroshi heard from behind him, Miyagi trying to dissuade the redhead from wasting his energy. The way Miyagi had shouted—the sound had traveled towards the front rather than behind, which meant that Sakuragi had already gained a step on the speedy point guard.

It occurred to Hiroshi just how athletic Sakuragi really was—Sakuragi had been under the basket and technically the farthest away from everyone, and for him to pull even with Miyagi, the fastest on the team and Shohoku's captain…

A team of monsters indeed.

"_You like basketball, captain?"_

_Why did I say that back there? Why? Where have I heard that before…_

…

* * *

_...years ago_.

He had heard that from his father when he was five.

They were at the sporting goods store that day—his sister needed new shoes for running track. Not that she was talented at the sport, but she was part of the middle school track club and practiced harder than anyone else, or so Hiroshi believed.

It only took one look at the basketball before Hiroshi decided he wanted it.

"You like basketball, Hiroshi?" his dad laughed, the sentence not even finished before Hiroshi started nodding frantically in agreement. Sure, he liked it. After all, it was his father who had introduced him to it—his father was a sports fan and his enthusiasm for basketball naturally carried over to his impressionable son.

"No basketball genes in the family," his mother smiled jokingly, giving her husband a look before patting his belly. "No exercise genes in the family either, it seems."

They had laughed and Hiroshi laughed along, not really understanding. It was okay—maybe just acting interested would get him the basketball. When his father picked the ball up and made for the cashier, he could barely contain his joy.

The ball was so big, more than a third of his body. When they left the store, he tried to dribble it and it hit him in the face. The family laughed and he did too, but with sheer joy.

A basketball in the house.

Finally.

* * *

"Get up, stupid!"

He started to go on morning runs with his sister. He was small, stubby, and would always be left in the dust behind Ayame—but what did it matter? He was content to fumble and trip around with his ball, trying to dribble, trying to become better.

Today was no exception. His sister gave him a concerned glance before telling him she was going to start running—was he going to be okay?

Yes. He would be.

He watched her zip off, her ponytail bouncing up and down behind her. Hiroshi always admired how fast his sister was and thought someday he would dribble that fast. He wanted to be a point guard, like Magic Johnson. His father liked the Showtime Lakers and would show him tape of Magic's flashy passes and it didn't take long before Hiroshi knew who he wanted to emulate for the rest of his life.

For now, he had to settle with dribbling. One step at a time, as they say.

* * *

It was a weekend morning, after their early morning exercise, that Hiroshi and Ayame came home to find their parents gone.

Ayame found a note on the counter, along with their breakfast. Their parents were out to meet a relative. Fair enough.

The two went about their business and everything was just fine until the phone rang around noon.

Ayame picked up and Hiroshi half-heartedly listened while he finger-painted.

"Hello, Kawasaki residence. Yes, this is Ayame. My parents went out. Yes… yes. Okay. I…"

There was a very, very long pause.

"Okay. I'm fine. Yes… yes, I'm listening. Okay, I understand. Okay… tonight? Okay. Yes, I'm really fine. Thank you."

Ayame hung up and Hiroshi decided that he wanted to draw a basketball game. He didn't know who the other players would be, but it would be an NBA team, maybe the Showtime Lakers. He would be starting point guard, of course. He didn't notice that Ayame did not move from her spot next to the phone for a good minute before she finally walked over to where Hiroshi was sitting.

"Hiroshi. Hey."

Hiroshi glanced up to see Ayame's ashen face. Her voice wasn't even shaking, but instead was robotic, drained of emotion and heavy with fatigue.

"…Mom and Dad are dead."

…Oh.

…What?

…

What?

The two stared at each other, neither of them fully comprehending the weight of those words. Death doesn't happen to people you know. It's something that's only on the television. It's something that _their _parents talk about and say "Oh, isn't it such a shame that…"

"I… they're dead," Ayame repeated stupidly, unable to say anything more. Hiroshi couldn't either. He had no idea that something so important could be summed up so anticlimactically.

He didn't really understand. After all, today was just another day. And death just doesn't…

He had never felt so alone as he did the moment: when he realized that he would never hear his dad scream at the opposing team to turn the ball over, when he realized that he would never smell his mom and feel her soft hands around his, when he realized that he was crying into Ayame's thigh and his painted fingers were leaving marks on her pants and she was crying too and maybe there was no such thing as justice in this world.

* * *

Hiroshi and his sister were shuttled from relative to relative, finally settling down at their aunt's place. It had taken nearly a year for the two to find a permanent home.

But as time passed, Hiroshi noticed the way Ayame slowly grew more sullen. She did not display any youthful characteristics of a high school girl, but instead would snap at most people that spoke to her. When she was alone, her lips were pressed into a thin line, her brow furrowed, as if managing some enormous problem.

Hiroshi probably should have cared more. Instead, he fumbled through elementary school, well-liked but not remembered. He didn't care. For him, there was the game and nothing more, hours spent dribbling outside the house, finding parks without basketball courts but pretending that he was shooting through hoops and would hear nothing but _swish._ He still dreamed of nothing but delivering the perfect pass, making the perfect play, becoming the perfect player.

It was not until Ayame's third and last year of high school that he realized everything was just that: a dream.

* * *

That night, Ayame came home very late. She had started to come home late every since her last year of school, attributing it to clubs and the like—but that particular night, Ayame stumbled into the house at nearly midnight. Hiroshi was up in his room, trying to sleep. The yells and shouts from downstairs eventually forced him to roll out of bed and settle at his desk with some schoolwork, knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep until they were done. He figured it was just his aunt and her husband chewing Ayame out for being late.

There was a definitive crash of something that startled Hiroshi enough to shift in his chair. It had sounded like glass—but before Hiroshi could really gather his racing thoughts, the muffled thumps of someone racing up the stairs. His door exploded open and there stood Ayame, her hair a mess and her eyes so wildly determined Hiroshi could do nothing but stare.

"Hey, stupid. Up. Get only the stuff you need."

Stare.

"Did you hear me?!" Ayame's voice rose, the young Hiroshi just sitting there and blinking, disoriented. "We're going right now!"

"What?"

"We're going to Narita. Tonight."

"The trains stopped running already…" Hiroshi managed before Ayame stamped into the room, doing nothing but frightening the ten year old even more.

"One of my friends is giving us a ride. Let's go."

When Hiroshi made no move to gather his things, Ayame's gaze swung around the room and settled on his backpack. She grabbed it and dumped out all the contents, the cascading thuds of books and ruffles of papers filling the heavy silence as she snapped open drawers and started stuffing whatever clothing she could get her hands on.

"Nee-san is going to work in Narita, okay?" Ayame's voice softened a bit as she tried to adopt a more sisterly tone, perhaps to coerce the dumbstruck Hiroshi into action. "I've been saving all year and researching cheap apartments—"

"Work?"

"Yes." Ayame glanced up from what she was doing and gave Hiroshi a bright smile that looked slightly maniacal given the context. "We're going to live on our own now. One of my friends is working in the tourist industry and it looks like I can get a job. We have to go tonight because I'm interviewing tomorrow, and—"

"No," Hiroshi answered flatly. Ayame stopped rummaging through his stuff and in an instant her smile faded.

"What?"

"You haven't even graduated—"

"Doesn't matter," Ayame sighed irritably, as if she had heard that a million times already. "We can't keep depending on Auntie anymore, you get it? We're nothing but a financial burden. Mom and Dad would be upset that we—"

"Why now? Why all of a sudden? We're family with Auntie—"

"We're not family!" Ayame shouted, shooting to her feet as Hiroshi winced despite himself.

"Family is just you and me now! Don't you get it? It's always just been us after our parents died! You sit there and think we can just take and take and take from Auntie and never ask for anything back? I'm getting a job and the first thing I'm going to do is pay Auntie back for the last few years."

Hiroshi could only stare, not sure how he should answer. He felt that something in Ayame's argument was fundamentally wrong.

"We're going. Now." Ayame leaned back down and scooped up the a random bunch of clothes and threw them into the backpack. "I already took care of paperwork for your transfer. You'll be going to Kanagawa. I hear Takeishi Middle School is pretty good—"

"Aren't we going to Narita?" Hiroshi managed as Ayame grabbed his wrist and tugged him out of his chair. Ayame rolled her eyes, as if her explanations prior to this had been perfectly clear.

"No, _I'm_ going to Narita to work. I'm splitting rent with my friend. The apartments I was researching were for _you._ The landlord can take care of you while I work. I'll visit you whenever I have time. Now, here's your backpack," Ayame shoved the unzipped backpack into his hands, "and I'll get my stuff and we're leaving. Be sure to say 'thank you Auntie' on your way out, she was very nice to you."

"Wait," Hiroshi said timidly, dropping the backpack and getting on his hands and knees. Ayame's face instantly twisted into a shocked expression when she saw that Hiroshi had pulled the basketball out from under his bed.

"Still into basketball?!" Ayame asked shakily, as if the mere sight had somehow appalled her. Hiroshi glanced up just in time to see Ayame to swipe the ball out of his hands, like she was brushing a deadly bug away from him. Instinctively, Hiroshi crawled to pick it up before it rolled away.

Basketball. His hands were itching for it.

"Stop it!"

Ayame slapped Hiroshi, the boy not even showing the slightest bit of surprise at the move. He simply turned his head back to face her like he was acknowledging that Ayame had struck him and it kind of hurt, maybe just a little, before he went reached for the ball again. Ayame roughly grabbed her brother and pulled him to his feet, clutching the sides of his head so he would hear her every word and not turn away.

"Basketball isn't a realistic source of income! Don't you get why I'm doing all this, stupid? It's for you! Ever since you were little, our parents kept saying how smart you would be. You sleep through all your classes and you're still the best in your entire grade level! Just think if you applied yourself more and once you get through middle school and high school with your grades…"

Hiroshi's eyes started to blur with tears, not because he was particularly upset, but just all the yelling and all that was happening right now was too much for him.

"I want to play basketball!"

"You're obsessed with it!" Ayame accused, dragging him towards the bathroom. Hiroshi didn't even struggle as she shoved him in and flicked on the lights, pointing accusingly at the mirror. "You still don't see?! You're not going to go pro! Look at you… just look…"

He didn't have to. Hiroshi didn't have to look through his rapidly distorting gaze to see the facts.

He knew.

All along, he knew. Somewhere. He knew the second he saw the Japanese pros. He knew the second he saw the NBA players suit up and lay everything they had on the court. It wasn't a matter of just conditioning—the height, the build, the athleticism, the reaction times, the muscle twitch fibers, the killer instinct.

He didn't even have a court to play on and he wanted to compete with kids that balled their entire life, kids with skills he couldn't even imagine? He had never even played in a full-court setting with four other players and wanted to make the perfect pass? The perfect play?

Impossible. You were either born with it or you weren't. You don't become the greatest of greats without a foundation. Hiroshi could train and train but his full potential would be a mere fraction of the professional basketball players in their prime.

No athletic genes in the family.

What an understatement.

"But… I want to…" Hiroshi managed before he burst into tears, the weight of reality hitting him. Ayame rubbed his back in comfort as he covered his face, ashamed.

"Shh," Ayame whispered quietly, trying to calm him down. "It's okay, it's okay."

There's no justice in this world.

* * *

They eventually left.

They settled into Ayame's friend's car. A boy was driving and in the back of Hiroshi's mind, even at his young age, there was a transient "oh" moment.

Hiroshi didn't really pay attention to anything they were saying and instead stared out the car window, watching colored lights pass and his home and dreams disappear. The last thing his dad had left him was already no longer in his possession and it was just as bad as saying farewell to a friend.

He sniffled and decided not to cry anymore. Basketball wasn't for him, after all.

* * *

Hiroshi finally hit his massive growth spurt in Takeishi Middle School. He didn't like standing out and tried to dodge his classmates between class and home. It didn't take long before he was recruited by the sports clubs and he avoided them every single year. He joined other clubs and was never interested or any good at them.

He was approached by the basketball team in his final year of middle school.

"I've never played basketball before," Hiroshi stated and walked away before he could remember how much he loved the sport. Besides, it's not a lie, what he said.

"You'll get into it! Really! We have a tradition of winning!" the recruiters called as he left. Hiroshi couldn't help but hear his sister's admonishing words in the back of his head:

"_Still into basketball?"_

"What am I thinking?" Hiroshi finally asked himself out loud as he stopped in mid-step, halfway back to his apartment. Visions of Magic Johnson were racing through his head, as were the thoughts of all his practices, the morning runs with his sister, everything. There wasn't a day that passed by when he didn't think of the game.

"You're pretty tall!"

Hiroshi snapped out of his thoughts to see a shorter kid standing in front of him, spinning a basketball on the end of an index finger, chewing gum all the while. The kid seemed to be young but had all the cockiness of someone a few years older.

"You play basketball? How about a game, tall guy?"

"Who are you?" Hiroshi asked, his tone more caustic than he would have liked. He didn't know that he was in a bad mood until he heard his own voice.

"Yoshiki!" he stated matter-of-factly, not even giving his family name. "No need to be formal, tall guy. When you ball, you only ask their name if they're any good!"

"Really," Hiroshi scoffed, making to move past Yoshiki. Yoshiki bounced the ball to the side that Hiroshi had been planning on escaping through, that confident look never disappearing from Yoshiki's face.

"I don't play basketball," Hiroshi stated stonily. Yoshiki started to dribble methodically, the snapping of gum matching the beat of the ball against concrete.

"Yeah? That's okay. How about a game anyway? You'll be good practice. I'm trying out for the Takeishi basketball team, you know."

"Takeishi? Takeishi Middle School?"

"Yeah." The dribbling stopped. "Why? You go there too?"

"I'm a third year."

"Huh." Yoshiki barely batted an eye. "I'm a first year. You're not in any clubs yet, tall guy-senpai?"

Hiroshi almost laughed at Yoshiki suddenly attaching the honorific. "No."

"Boring," Yoshiki yawned. "But hey, let's play a game. There's probably going to be lots of tall guys like you at the tryouts."

"I don't really—"

"You got something to do then, tall guy-senpai?" Yoshiki again started to dribble, the ball weaving between his legs as he handled the ball expertly. Hiroshi couldn't help but notice this fact with some envy. Not even after all those years of dribbling could Hiroshi handle the ball with as much ease as Yoshiki.

"Not really…"

"Well, what's the problem? I don't care that you never played before. Come on, you might like basketball. Ever hear of the Showtime Lakers? Even people that don't watch basketball like them!" Yoshiki swung the ball behind his back and made a pass over his shoulder and right back into his opposing hand. "Flashy, flashy, flashy! Fast breaks! Exciting plays! That's the type of basketball everyone should play!"

Hiroshi had fallen silent at these words but Yoshiki didn't seem to particularly notice as he rested the ball at his own hip.

"So? You down for a game?"

Hiroshi took a deep breath.

"Yeah. Yeah, okay. Let's play one."

"All right! There's a street court just a ways down here. You ever seen it? No one goes anymore. Some guy from Tomigaoka Middle School used to always practice there, but now he doesn't hog it anymore. He probably went to high school by now."

It was a long walk there and by the time they arrived, the sun was already starting to creep down. Yoshiki dropped the basketball and started stretching while Hiroshi placed his school belongings on a nearby bench. Hiroshi quietly scanned his surroundings, almost in disbelief—he had never played on a real court until now and the experience of just being there was almost too much.

"I'll take out," Yoshiki said easily after he had finished stretching. "Unless you want to shoot for ball?"

Hiroshi didn't trust himself to shoot, having never even played around an actual basketball rim before. "No. It's fine."

Yoshiki checked the ball with Hiroshi and in an instant was blazing for the rim, leaving Hiroshi completely flat-footed and eating his dust as the freshman laid the ball in easily. After chasing down the loose ball, Yoshiki rolled his eyes as he flipped the basketball back to Hiroshi.

"At least try to play," Yoshiki said irritably. "Look at those arms you got, tall guy-senpai. That's a huge wingspan for your size. Use it."

"Uh…" Hiroshi managed, checking the ball back to Yoshiki. Yoshiki again fell into an offensive stance, sizing up Hiroshi, almost expectantly.

"At least try to play," Yoshiki repeated, his tone becoming steadily angrier. "Come on. Defensive position and block me out."

Hiroshi remembered the old Lakers games and fell into a tentative defensive stance, drawing a nod of approval from Yoshiki before the freshman exploded for the basket. This time Hiroshi kept up, both arms high in order to prevent Yoshiki from getting a clear look at the rim. Yoshiki abruptly spun on his pivot foot and shot what could only be termed a "sky hook" as the ball soared high into the air and swished softly through the bottom of the net. Hiroshi could only stare in shock as the ball thudded back to the ground.

"…Kareem Abdul Jabar…." Hiroshi whispered, the name catching Yoshiki's attention.

"I thought you said you never played basketball," Yoshiki said matter-of-factly, chasing down the loose ball again.

"Kareem's signature move… why would someone your size learn it?"

Again, Yoshiki gave Hiroshi a quizzical glance as if every question Hiroshi was asking should have been easily answerable through sheer logic alone.

"It's an un-guardable shot. The release point is so high that the chance of anyone interfering with it is almost impossible. Not only that, but your body is between your opponent so he can't hope to disrupt your shot as you go up," Yoshiki explained, the two assuming their spots at the top of the key once again. "It doesn't matter if I'm short or if I'm tall. No move in basketball is not worth learning. If I have a post-up game and I play guard, I give the other team's guards problems if they can't block me out."

The ball was checked and Hiroshi kept his senses on full alert this time, thinking of Magic Johnson, thinking of being the perfect player. Maybe there was still time, maybe…

Yoshiki took a huge step forward and bounced the ball in the same direction, enticing Hiroshi to instantly fall a step towards the area Yoshiki had seemed to want to go. However, in the next moment Yoshiki swung his dribble back to the other side, the crossover performed to utmost perfection as Hiroshi suddenly realized that he had been completely fooled. Hiroshi stumbled to try and get back into position but failed, tripping and spilling onto the ground. Yoshiki easily lifted into the air and shot the long-range jump shot, the ball swishing through the net.

"You all right?" Yoshiki asked immediately, which was a surprise to Hiroshi—from his earlier demeanor, Yoshiki had certainly seemed like the type to gloat a bit over burning his opponent. Hiroshi pushed himself back up, a dull pain throbbing atop one of his knees. Yoshiki went to fetch the ball and started to dribble back only to see Hiroshi still sitting with his head now resting in his palms.

"It's no good …"

Yoshiki slowed his dribble when he noticed that Hiroshi's eyes were brimmed with tears. The two were silent as Hiroshi's breath quickened, trying desperately to control his emotions.

Hiroshi stared at his shaking hands and saw the black marks of dust and pebbles on his palms. He felt the blood matting the pants leg to his knee, the scratches on thigh.

His hands clenched and Hiroshi gritted his teeth, finally admitting the truth to himself. What he should have admitted to himself a long, long time ago.

"I want to play basketball…"

* * *

Hiroshi could not have asked for a better teacher.

"Let's go! Shuffle your feet! Don't slack!" Yoshiki shouted, sliding along with Hiroshi as the two practiced full court defense. Hiroshi ignored the growing pain in his lower back and the burn in his thighs as he crouched ever lower, trying to make himself as mobile as possible. By the time they reached the opposite end of the court, Hiroshi was about to collapse from exhaustion.

"What? You tired? Tired from sitting on your ass all day?!" Yoshiki demanded when Hiroshi straightened, ignoring the fact that this was more than the fiftieth run-through. Hiroshi could not complain—Yoshiki was doing him a favor by training him, despite the fact that Yoshiki had to deal with team practice just before coming here.

"Sorry," Hiroshi breathed, lowering his head. If anyone had seen the blatant disregard for lower classmen-upper classmen dynamics, it would certainly been a surprise to them. Yoshiki went to get his basketball and instantly backed into Hiroshi, not giving him a second of rest as he posted up the much taller boy.

"Don't give me position! Use your lower body!" Yoshiki barked, colliding with Hiroshi before swinging down and ramming his shoulder into the senior's chest. Hiroshi stumbled back and Yoshiki quickly shot a small finger-roll that swished easily through the net.

"You call that post-up defense, tall guy-senpai?" Yoshiki sneered, again running the facts home as he held one arm up high to fully emphasize the difference in height between the two. "With your wingspan, you're almost a good body height taller than me! Stop playing so soft! I have a tougher time scoring on a toddler with a broomstick!"

"Sorry," Hiroshi mumbled again. Yoshiki didn't chase the loose ball down, instead wiping sweat from his brow. His voice was already hoarse from yelling and it was likely that having to deal with Hiroshi every single day was starting to wear the freshman's patience down.

"You give a look at the Lakers videos I gave you?" Yoshiki asked finally, his tone a bit gentler. "You watched all of them, right? It's been a month since I lent it to you."

"Yeah."

"I'll tell you right now that there's no way in hell you can play point guard. Magic Johnson had height too, but you don't have anything else he possesses. Your reaction time and court vision would just give your opponent's a good laugh if you had to play with us small guys." Yoshiki pointed directly at Hiroshi, again calling things as he saw them.

"No one's going to give you the ball if you don't prove yourself! That's the simple reality of basketball. If you can live with not getting the ball the entire game, then there's only one other reason the coach will put you on the floor. You know what that reason is?" Yoshiki leaned in close, as if sharing a huge secret with Hiroshi.

"Defense! When you get to high school, you'll play your best at the wing! Apply for small forward. That's your ideal position—guarding the opponent's best player on the perimeter. Your wingspan is freakishly large and that is your greatest weapon. You're average at everything else but this and this," Yoshiki continued, pointing to his own head and heart. "I'm the best teacher in the history of the Japan, so I know my pupil well."

"Heh," Hiroshi chuckled, too tired to really say anything else. Yoshiki tilted his head towards the bench, where the two had left their possessions.

"Let's take a breather, yeah? Then we'll call it a night."

"Okay," Hiroshi murmured, too exhausted to really form any sentences. The two settled down at the bench, drinking deeply from their bottles of water.

"You decide on which high school you're going to yet?" Yoshiki asked, once the two had calmed a bit. Hiroshi shook his head, having not given it the slightest bit of thought.

"I'm telling you, think about it! Since you're not playing on any middle school team, you're never going to get scouted by high school coaches. Go to a place where you'll make the team for sure."

"Where would that be?"

"Nearby? Shohoku High, I'd say. Their team sucks! It's your best chance to get tons of playing time because you'll blow the rest of the team out of the water," Yoshiki took another gulp of water before brushing sweat away from his eyes. "Plus, no competition at any position but the center spot, so you should get the small forward position just fine. One of our alumni used to be on the basketball team there, but he dropped out or something, I hear."

"How's their academic—"

"Come on, you're smart. Just ace the college entrance exams and you won't have to worry about any of that stuff. I mean… with your grades you could probably go to a better high school, but if you want to play basketball, then…"

"Yeah, I guess," Hiroshi sighed, leaning back in his seat. "Where do you want to play, then? Although I'm sure that's—"

"Minowa High," Yoshiki answered instantly. Hiroshi was caught off guard at the resolution in Yoshiki's voice and gave him a quizzical glance, hoping the freshman would elaborate more.

"Minowa High is the only team to come close to taking down Kainan, next to Sannoh. My dad was on their team when he was younger," Yoshiki continued, his brow furrowing.

"My dad taught me all the basketball I know. He got me into the sport… all those NBA game tapes I'm lending you are really his. Back in high school, he was supposedly a good player and could have probably played in college. But in the end... he gave it all up and opened a shoe shop." Yoshiki's water bottle crackled as he tightened his hands into fists.

"In his senior year against Kainan High he missed the game-winner. It was a shot that would have given his team the lead and would have crushed the legend of Kainan before it started. So now the only Japanese basketball he watches are Kainan games, like he's obsessed. Deep down inside, he wants to play them again—he watches their games and probably imagines himself every year, playing a different lineup, and maybe someday…" Yoshiki's voice started to quake, his teeth clenched in rage.

"I'll crush Kainan without mercy! It makes me sick to think my dad gave up this sport because of that team! Basketball is more than that! How can you watch your enemy every year and still act like it's not a big deal? It would piss me off to no end, to see the team that beat me!"

Hiroshi didn't say a word, instead sipping his water bottle. He couldn't really relate—the feeling of playing for someone else. Once Yoshiki had calmed, he tucked his water bottle back into his backpack and stood, making to leave.

"I've had enough for today. We'll meet up next week. I have a game tomorrow."

"You do?" Hiroshi glanced up just in time to see Yoshiki dash off, picking up his loose ball on the way out. Though Hiroshi felt a sense of mounting guilt at just how much time he was actually taking out of Yoshiki's schedule, at the same time he felt grateful that the freshman was willing to help him so much.

_The only way to pay him back is to show him how good I can get,_ Hiroshi thought. Once Yoshiki was a safe distance away, Hiroshi picked up the tattered old ball that Yoshiki had given him. It was so worn that it no longer had any grip and there really wasn't as much air as he would have liked, but Hiroshi found it more than useable.

In the next moment Hiroshi blazed for the rim, lifting into the air and throwing down a violet right-handed dunk that had a loud enough crash to frighten some nearby birds. Hiroshi landed back to Earth, not feeling even the slightest bit of joy at something he couldn't have dreamed of doing a year ago.

"_You like basketball, Hiroshi?" _

"See that, Dad?!" Hiroshi screamed to the darkening sky, suddenly full of emotion. "No athletic genes in the family?! You see that?! I can even dunk now! I can dunk just like all those pros we watched together!"

The street lights flickered on and one figure stood alone at the old basketball courts, not moving from his spot under the rim as he covered his face, his voice shaking.

"Mom, Dad…. did you see that…? Did you see me?"

* * *

Yoshiki saw.

He saw Hiroshi grow every game, absorbing information so fast that it seemed like somewhere the senior just had a knack for understanding the nuances of basketball. He saw the long training sessions that Hiroshi put in everyday, never taking days off, always trying to do just a little more to improve his stamina. He saw Hiroshi's offensive game rise from barely being able to dribble competently to being able to hit shots from anywhere on the floor with a smooth easiness that could almost be called effortless. By the end of the school year, Yoshiki had to actually try on offense against Hiroshi, whose defensive awareness had risen to frightening levels.

He saw all this and couldn't help but feel both proud and excited—to have created his very own adversary, someone that could push him to be better. Someone that knew Yoshiki's game inside and out, just as Yoshiki now knew Hiroshi's.

"That's game, tall-guy senpai," Yoshiki announced from his spot under the basket, kicking the ball back out to the three-point line. The result was never any different—Hiroshi had never been able to ever beat him. All that had changed was the effort it took for Yoshiki to win.

"Damn," Hiroshi gasped, not even moving to save the ball before it rolled to the opposite side of the court. Yoshiki gave the senior a wan smile.

"It was a pretty anti-climatic last game, I'd say."

"Not the last," Hiroshi managed, hands on his knees. "High school. We'll play in high school."

"Sure," Yoshiki said lightly, sauntering over to the bench to collect his belongings. Playing during the summer break never came up, as if there was an unspoken agreement that there was nothing left for the two to learn from one another. Hiroshi soon joined his companion, the two oddly quiet. It felt strange to both of them—that they would not be going head to head anymore.

Yoshiki rummaged through his backpack and casually pulled out a large box, giving Hiroshi a nudge at the hip to catch his attention.

"Here," Yoshiki offered, holding out the box. Hiroshi blinked in response, surprised at the gift.

"What's this for?" Hiroshi asked as he took the box, opening it and nearly crying out from seeing what was inside. It was a pair of brand new basketball shoes, colored black.

"Adidas Kaj," Yoshiki stated lightly, his tone still even. "Kareem Abdul Jabar's signature shoe. I took a pair that was lying around the shop. Can't ball right if you don't have the right shoes."

"I…" Hiroshi mumbled, at a loss for words. "I… are you serious? These shoes are worth like…"

"You're overreacting. Air Jordan are the super expensive ones," Yoshiki shrugged. "Just look at your shitty tennis shoes. Worn out. Can't believe you always played me in those and expected to win."

Hiroshi checked the shoe sizes of the Kaj and was shocked to find that they matched his own foot size exactly. Yoshiki couldn't hide a smirk this time.

"So worn out that I can see the size tag on the flap of your shoes," Yoshiki continued, motioning towards Hiroshi's feet. The tennis shoes that Hiroshi wore could only be described as having "exploded" quite some time ago.

When Hiroshi didn't respond to the jab, Yoshiki sighed and zipped up his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. Hiroshi glanced back down at the box and found a tape nestled under the shoes, a move that Yoshiki noticed.

"Oh. Yeah, that's the 1988 NBA Finals. Showtime Lakers against the Bad Boys of Detroit. Be sure to watch it—you don't need to return it, my dad has like three copies of it that he's loaning out to other people and he probably won't notice that one copy is gone anytime soon." Yoshiki adjusted his bag and took a step past Hiroshi, making to leave.

"Hey—" Hiroshi started to say before Yoshiki abruptly stopped.

"By the way. What's your name, tall-guy senpai?" Yoshiki asked off-handedly, scratching the back of his head as if he was trying to remember if he had asked Hiroshi before. Hiroshi's own gaze instantly swung up, remembering Yoshiki's first words to him:

"_When you ball, you only ask their name if they're any good!"_

"…it's Kawasaki Hiroshi."

"I'll tell you this then, Kawasaki-senpai. 1988 NBA Finals had some of the greatest defensive and offensive players you'll ever see. Oh, how could you forget all those defensive players? Dennis Rodman. Bill Laimbeer. Joe Dumars. Michael Cooper. Man, Michael Cooper!" Yoshiki turned back around, the excitement visible on his face. "That's who you always remind me of, you know. That sort of all-around defensive intensity."

Hiroshi only stared at Yoshiki blankly. The name didn't ring a bell. Hiroshi was always watching the offensive players like Magic and Isiah Thomas, anyway.

"Michael Cooper? You know, the Defensive Player of the Year? He's one of the best perimeter defenders of that era! Not to mention he was pretty good scorer too!" Yoshiki clapped a hand onto Hiroshi's shoulder. "Listen, stop watching all those flashy plays. You have to be able to keep your eyes trained on the offensive and defensive sets that the NBA teams run. That's where you'll learn the most. Watch the hustle and determination that defensive players put in, night in and night out. The NBA is a very appealing spectator sport, but if you can look past it all, you'll see just how intense it really is."

"…Why'd you do all this?"

"What?" Yoshiki asked irritably, caught a bit off-guard at the comment. Hiroshi held up the shoe box in explanation.

"This. And the tapes. And always working with me even though you had practice. All of it. I was a complete newbie when you met me. Without you, I would've never played basketball, I don't think. So why all the effort? I mean, when we first met, why did you want to play me so bad?"

Yoshiki studied Hiroshi for a few seconds, as if he wasn't sure if he should tell the truth. Finally, Yoshiki sighed heavily, acting like he was prepared to give Hiroshi a very serious response. Hiroshi waited with high expectations before Yoshiki answered.

"No reason. I just wanted to practice."

Hiroshi almost face-faulted.

"But…"

Yoshiki smiled, the cocky air around him gone for the briefest of moments.

"The reason why I stuck with you after the first time is because you loved basketball. No one I know wanted to play as bad as you did. You're the only one that can really understand… what it means to love basketball." Yoshiki's smile slowly abated.

"Basketball is my life. If I can't go pro, I have nothing. I'm not smart like you. I'm sacrificing everything for this. I want to wear the Japanese national jersey and play the best players in the world when I grow up. That may not be your goal, but maybe you're the only one that can understand me. Why I have to practice more than anyone—because someone else out there is doing the same thing I am and I can't fall behind."

Hiroshi nodded slowly. Yoshiki stuck out a hand, all business.

"We'll play in high school for sure. I'll be a first year when you're a third year. That means we'll only have one chance to play each other in a real match. Don't mess up that year! We'll meet at the Inter-Highs."

"Same to you," Hiroshi grinned, slapping hands with Yoshiki. "Come watch me play at Shohoku."

"Only if you get to the Nationals. Any less and you're dead to me," Yoshiki joked, a huge smile on his face again. "Don't get too bored playing those other kids, now that you've had to play me so much. Take care, Kawasaki-senpai."

"I'll meet you at the top!" Hiroshi shouted as he backed away, waving one hand in farewell. "Watch me! When you enter high school, it'll be Shohoku High that's the reigning champions!"

"I hope so," Yoshiki mumbled under his breath as Hiroshi dashed off.

"After all, I'm supposed to be the best damn basketball teacher in Japan."

* * *

But Hiroshi's first day with the Shohoku team was not at all what he expected.

He had joined the club as a late addition due to his sprained wrist—but regardless, he had some sort of expectation of making it as starting small forward. After all, Yoshiki himself had said he would not only be able to, but would have to, if he wanted to excel.

So the day after Miyagi invited him to join the team, he had strode through the gym doors, not confident, but certainly hopeful. Miyagi's words the day before, about a starting position being available, made Hiroshi all the more expectant that the opportunity was there.

Everyone was already in the gym and as soon as Hiroshi sauntered in, Miyagi jogged over to meet him.

"Hey! Glad to see that you showed up."

"Yeah," Hiroshi said curtly. He was a bit nervous, no doubt about it. Miyagi seemed to ignore this and turned around to address the other players.

"Everyone, we have a new addition to the club. Please, introduce yourself."

"Kazuo Hiroshi. Nice to meet you all."

Ayako, who had been taking some notes on the other players, frowned upon seeing Hiroshi. "Hey Ryota. Bring him over here."

Miyagi instantly fell into submissive love-love mode and practically dragged Hiroshi over to his crush, offering him like some sort of gift. Ayako gave Hiroshi a quick up and down before rummaging through her gym bag. The other players were keeping their eye on the group, obviously curious as to just who Hiroshi was and how his skills were.

Ayako pulled out disinfectant and bandages from her bag, motioning for Hiroshi to kneel down so she could treat him.

"Do we have another trouble-maker on our hands?" Ayako said lightly, flashing Hiroshi a charming smile. Hiroshi blinked, confused as to what she was referencing. However, he obediently crouched as Ayako applied the disinfectant and patched him up. Hiroshi himself didn't even know that he had _that_ many cuts and bruises.

"Yeah, I didn't see you with those yesterday," Miyagi added. Hiroshi didn't turn his head as Ayako stuck a large bandage on his cheek.

"I took a few spills. Got elbowed a few times. Not a big deal," Hiroshi said, seemingly confused at the amount of care they were giving him. Ayako froze in surprise.

"…You got these from basketball?"

"Yes."

Ayako and Miyagi exchanged looks. Hiroshi was perfectly ignorant of all this, his mind only focused on one thing.

"Excuse me, Miyagi-senpai. But I was wondering if I could play small forward."

Those nearby that had overheard Hiroshi's comment fell silent, save for someone dribbling a ball in their general area.

Miyagi cleared his throat as Ayako finished tending to Hiroshi. "Uh, well, we were hoping with your height, you could play center for us. All the other positions are more or less filled, if you still want to be a starter. Hey, Mitsui! Get your ass over here already!"

Mitsui, who had been standing behind Miyagi the entire time since Hiroshi entered, gave the Shohoku captain a borderline violent poke in the ribs for acting like he wasn't there. Miyagi winced and introduced Mitsui to Hiroshi.

"This is Mitsui Hisashi. He's the vice-captain."

"Nice to meet you," Hiroshi stated, bowing his head respectfully. This time it was Miyagi and Mitsui who exchanged looks.

"Aya-chan will help you with paperwork for enrolling in the club. We have another game in a few days, but you should be able to make the roster. Anzai-sensei isn't here yet, but he said he'll show up a bit later. He's our coach, by the way," Miyagi explained.

Hiroshi nodded, taking all this in without a word. Miyagi studied Hiroshi for a few seconds, glancing between Hiroshi and Mitsui to compare their heights.

"I think you'll probably be best at center. You're the tallest person on the team right now. How's your post defense? Do you know post moves?"

"Is there a spot open at the small forward position? I'd like to play that," Hiroshi repeated, not willing to give up. The way Miyagi had dodged the question before certainly did not bode well, but Hiroshi wanted a clearer answer.

Again, Miyagi fell silent as Mitsui spoke in his place. Ayako turned away, returning to her stats sheets as she tried to avoid getting involved in the subject.

"Rukawa is our starting small forward. We'd prefer it if you could play either center. Maybe power forward, if you have a decent outside shot. It's what the team needs, you understand. Even then, you'd have to play against Kakuta for the starting job, if you want it. I haven't seen you play yet and I'm sure everyone is curious."

It was Hiroshi's turn to be surprised. "I thought that Rukawa would play center. Wasn't he the tallest—"

"Rukawa could play center, sure. But playing center is really physically taxing and Rukawa would have to be in the post all the time. That's not utilizing his strengths."

_What about my strengths?_ Hiroshi thought, biting back the comment before he said something idiotic. Unnoticed to everyone, the dribbling had stopped and in the next moment Rukawa had sidled up next to Mitsui and Miyagi.

"Play me for it, then," Rukawa challenged in his soft voice, having overheard the conversation. "The small forward starting position."

Hiroshi shot Rukawa a glance, the others now dead silent. Hiroshi had no idea just how good Rukawa was, but everyone certainly made it seem like a big deal.

However, Hiroshi was not an ignorant, either—he knew the press about Rukawa. His All-Japan team selection. His high scoring totals that were published in the school newspaper. This would be a great test.

"Fine."

Rukawa bounced the ball into Hiroshi's hands, his cold stare never wavering. "You take out. One point game."

Miyagi's eyes widened, the situation having escalated so fast that no one was even able to respond properly. "One point? What?"

"Fine," Hiroshi repeated, ignoring Miyagi as he took to the floor with Rukawa, the others remaining on the sidelines. Miyagi was about to stop the two before Mitsui laid a restraining hand on Miyagi's shoulder.

"Let them go," the vice captain advised, looking down towards the smaller player to make sure that Miyagi was hearing his every word. "Rukawa's pride is on the line here. The ace of a team cannot lose. Rukawa made it a one point game not just because of confidence, but because it would be wrong for him to let a freshman score on him."

Mitsui looked back up towards the court, his expression grim as Rukawa tapped back Hiroshi's check. "If Akagi was here he'd probably call them both idiots, but I don't think he'd interfere either."

Miyagi, as well as the others, watched in complete silence as Hiroshi assumed a triple-threat stance, his eyes not quite alert yet but instead still having that same calm, almost bored look as when he had first entered the gym.

The gym door creaked open and the sound was enough to spring Hiroshi into action, the lanky player putting the ball on the floor and making an explosive drive for the basket. Rukawa instantly read the move, taking two quick strides backwards and staying in front of Hiroshi with little effort. With a loud smack of the ball, Hiroshi swung the basketball into his other hand before pulling off a spin move that drew an involuntary intake of breath from Kakuta, who was also watching with the other Shohoku players.

_Not fast, but superb footwork!_ Kakuta realized, thinking of all the hours he's had to spend working on his offensive game in lieu of Sakuragi's absence. However, Rukawa used his sheer athleticism to easily keep up, making a long sidestep in the direction Hiroshi had spun and leapt into the air, rejecting Hiroshi's shot and leaving the freshman dazed at the amazing read.

_He beat my go-to move that easily?_ Hiroshi turned, far too slow, as Rukawa burst off into a sprint and picked up the loose ball. Hiroshi quickly fell into a defensive stance, his left foot slightly in front. The two were completely oblivious to the fact that the ones who had entered the gym were none other than Anzai and Haruko. They simply stood quietly at the entrance and made no move to walk towards the others.

Rukawa, with his trademark ice-cold glare, considered his offensive options. He didn't think Hiroshi's defensive positioning was smart here—with the left foot in front, Hiroshi would be slower reacting to his left, which was Rukawa's right side. Given that Rukawa was right handed, it was playing into Rukawa's hands.

His thoughts were interrupted when Hiroshi made a small step towards Rukawa. The second-year exploded towards the right, making two long strides before abruptly pulling back, having to hold back his expression of surprise.

Hiroshi was still in front of him.

_Not an amateur,_ Mitsui observed, his arms now folded across his chest. Hiroshi had won, briefly, the psychological game: the freshman had made a brief shuffle with his left foot towards Rukawa only to bait the Shohoku ace. Rukawa had tried to take Hiroshi off the dribble by making the freshman turn about 90 degrees before he could start guarding Rukawa's right side, but the raised left foot had turned into a step around, giving Hiroshi that millisecond advantage to prevent himself from being beaten to the basket by Rukawa.

Hiroshi's eyes were dead serious now, no longer even considering taking it easy anymore. It had been a little test, what Hiroshi had done by favoring a defense on Rukawa's left side—and Rukawa had far exceeded his expectations. Despite his outwardly focused demeanor Hiroshi was not at all calm, but near panicked.

_What was that?_ Hiroshi breathed, not even blinking as Rukawa took a brief second to decide how to next attack. _That explosive speed is insane! That athleticism is not at a high school level! This is nowhere near anything I was expecting!_

Rukawa exploded forward for the basket again, this time even faster than before. It was clear that Rukawa had been holding back earlier, but even though the Shohoku ace was taking the game a bit more seriously now, Hiroshi matched him not with speed but with sheer guile, predicting the drive-in before Rukawa made it even though he had never played against Shohoku's ace before.

_This boy…_ Anzai thought to himself, the very same observation rising into not just his mind but all the other Shohoku players, even Rukawa, as Hiroshi beat the Shohoku ace to the spot he had wanted to go.

…_will become a great defensive player._

Rukawa swung the ball down and made a quick up and under lay-up move, now out of offensive options. Hiroshi pulled back and immediately boxed Rukawa out, preventing the Shohoku ace from getting the rebound. The ball clanked off and fell towards opposite side of the rim. The two players instantly exploded into a foot race for the rebound, Rukawa just a step quicker despite the fact that he had been behind Hiroshi to start with. However, just as Rukawa strained his arm out for the ball, Hiroshi simply took off and leapt for the rebound, crashing onto the floor as he unsuccessfully tried to grab it and instead knocked the ball out of bounds.

There was a brief second of silence as Rukawa paused, his breaths short and quick. After the moment passed he stepped over Hiroshi and went to get the loose ball, having been just as surprised as the others at the sheer hustle Hiroshi was showing for the starting position.

_I see now,_ Mitsui thought to himself as Hiroshi picked himself up from the gym floors. _He must have realized that his perimeter defense is his strong suit. No wonder he wants the small forward position, where he'll be responsible for guarding the best wing player of the opposing team every game. Still, to go to such lengths when we already said he can start for the team… _

An involuntary grin spread across the shooter's face as Rukawa and Hiroshi checked the ball with each other. _…a great competitor. Just what we needed._

This time, Hiroshi didn't immediately advance to put pressure on Rukawa and instead remained crouched low, his vision almost focused over Rukawa instead of directly at his opponent.

_That earlier drive scared him,_ Miyagi realized, noticing that Hiroshi was now a half-step farther back than in his first defensive play. _He doesn't want to be unprepared for another drive like that, but he also might be giving Rukawa a bit too much space to shoot the jumper…_

As if on cue, Rukawa swung the ball up, preparing to shoot a three-pointer. However, Hiroshi instantly bounded forward, hands up, ready to disrupt the shot as much as possible…

…and Rukawa was no longer in front of him.

_Shit!_ Hiroshi realized, far too late, that he had completely bitten on the beautiful fake by Rukawa. He stumbled forward a step due to his momentum before whirling around, Rukawa now almost a full stride ahead of him—and that was all Rukawa needed. There was a loud, thundering slam, the crash of the ball through the rim almost matching that of Hiroshi's heart sinking into his insides.

1-0. Game. Just like that.

Hiroshi panted for breath, watching as Rukawa turned around to face him, the two staring each other down. The brief, unspoken tension was enough for Miyagi and Mitsui to race over to the two, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Good game!" Miyagi exclaimed, pushing Hiroshi away as Mitsui nodded to Rukawa, obviously pleased with the Shohoku ace's performance. Rukawa stared at Hiroshi for a second longer before sauntering off to collect the loose ball.

"Hey, you really stepped it up today," Miyagi complimented Hiroshi once they were a safe distance away. The others dispersed as Miyagi walked Hiroshi over to Ayako, again trying to get Hiroshi registered for the team, first and foremost. Hiroshi didn't look in the mood for this at all, his brow furrowed in displeasure.

Ayako flashed Hiroshi and Miyagi a smile when they reached her, not showing any particular emotion towards the brief match that had just occurred. Just as she looked to say something, a soft shuffling of steps interrupted Ayako as Anzai clapped his chubby hand on Miyagi's shoulder.

"Is this the new player, Miyagi-kun?"

Miyagi whirled around, a grin on his face. "Yes, Sensei! Oh, Hiroshi, this is Anzai-sensei, the coach. And, uh, over there is Haruko-chan. She's the other manageress for the team. Guys, this is Hiroshi."

"Nice to meet you," Hiroshi said dully. Anzai nodded, his hand falling away from Miyagi.

"How long have you played basketball?"

"Since I was… I mean, since my last year of middle school."

"Middle school?" Ayako interrupted, unable to contain the surprise in her voice. "Why… that means…"

"Were you on the team?" Miyagi asked, only for Hiroshi to shake his head. Anzai nodded to himself, as if having expected such an answer—on the other hand, Miyagi and Ayako were both struck dumb by the news.

"Shohoku High can be very strong," Anzai stated calmly. "Rukawa-kun has showed you the type of competition you will face in organized basketball. Do you still want to play?"

"I…" Hiroshi trailed off, looking unsure. Ayako glanced between Hiroshi and Miyagi before making a subtle movement with her hands, indicating that the others should let Hiroshi think it over.

"Sensei, can I talk to you really quick about something?" Miyagi asked, instantly obeying his crush as he tried to make up an excuse to drag Anzai away. Anzai, ever the polite coach, nodded as Miyagi led Anzai over to the other members of the team, leaving Hiroshi and Ayako alone for a few seconds. Ayako scribbled some things down as Hiroshi mulled it over, an uncomfortable silence between the two.

"You know," Ayako said softly, "there was someone that was a bit like you. He started basketball very late and he became one of the most important members of our team."

Ayako smiled to herself, remembering the amazing run Shohoku had last year. "No, you don't act anything like him. But we need someone like you. We need someone that will fight for every possession. Ryota was really excited when he was telling me about you and I can't help but think that maybe Akagi felt the same way about Sakuragi. Someone that will push everyone to become better."

"Hn." Hiroshi listened half-heartedly as Ayako continued speaking, partly to herself.

"I love basketball. I've been the manageress for this team for two years now and this is my final year. I've seen a lot of players try for the team, as you know. I think you'll be a really good fit here, even if you don't get the small forward position."

Hiroshi didn't answer, that solemn look still on his face. Ayako glanced up from her clipboard.

"That wasn't _his_ full strength, you know," Ayako whispered quietly so only Hiroshi would hear. "Rukawa was trying to feel you out. See how good you were."

The rookie's expression grew a bit gloomier, but not a trace of surprise lit on his features.

"I know that."

Ayako nodded, satisfied that she had said all she could have. "Please consider applying for the team. We could use you."

Hiroshi scratched his head, keeping his hands busy as he thought it over a bit more.

"_We'll play in high school for sure. I'll be a first year when you're a third year. That means we'll only have one chance to play each other in a real match. Don't mess up that year! We'll meet at the Inter-Highs."_

"I…" Hiroshi sighed, his shoulders slumping. Ayako watched him, sensing that he was about to turn her down before he surprised her, turning and bowing all the way to his waist.

"Please take care of me from now on."

Ayako flashed a bright smile, one that Hiroshi didn't catch but Miyagi did from the other side of the court, where he was listening to Anzai lecture the team about something. Miyagi discreetly flashed her thumbs up for confirmation and Ayako returned it just as Hiroshi straightened.

"Ahem," Ayako cleared her throat before holding out a dainty hand.

"Welcome to Shohoku High's basketball team."

Hiroshi took her hand, the two shaking briefly. Ayako glanced past Hiroshi and he followed her gaze to see Rukawa walking past them, obviously on his way to the lockers.

"Thank you for the match," Hiroshi spoke up first before Rukawa could completely get away.

And was pleasantly surprised to feel like he meant it.

Rukawa stared blankly at Hiroshi, looking as if he was about to just dismiss his existence before he gave the new Shohoku addition a slight nod.

"What's your name, freshman?"

* * *

_And now..._

Hiromu was almost at the rim. The shouts of the crowd were indistinct, as were Miyagi's commanding yells. Nothing seemed to matter as Hiroshi forced himself to give chase, knowing that maybe it was too late. Everything in his being told him it was.

But as he suddenly noticed Hiromu slowing down, ready to glide in for the lay-up, for the briefest of moments, an unsettling focus gripped the rookie.

It was a feeling that Hiroshi never really had—instinct. There were times when he knew he could get a block and his body reacted instinctively, sure—there were also times when he would leap up by instinct and try to get a block. But this was different: Sakuragi, who was just a bundle of basketball instincts, would not have been able to feel or recognize the difference between what Hiroshi felt for those few precious seconds and what went through Hiroshi's mind normally.

There was no planning. No judging of distance, no thoughts of fouls, no thoughts of "he's too far," no conscious _thought_ at all.

Nothing was in Hiroshi's frantic and fatigued mind. All he saw was the ball. All he saw was that they were trying to score and _he would not let that happen_.

Hiromu was on the other side of the basket, gathering himself for the lay-in. Miyagi and Sakuragi were a few steps behind, but they would reach Hiromu only after the ball went through the basket. Hiroshi was still on the opposite side, racing towards the middle, with almost no free range of motion to simply leap past and try and block it randomly—the rim would have stopped him from that.

If Hiromu had just dunked, maybe it wouldn't have happened. But Hiromu didn't: he was lifting up, ready to lay the ball through.

With his left arm craned, his body twisting just to hit the ball at the right angle, Hiroshi soared into the air after him. Hiromu realized, far too late, that Hiroshi was not behind him anymore, but somehow, as if by magic, now in front. By the apex of his jump Hiroshi had turned nearly a full 180 so that he was facing the other side of the court, with his head under the rim and his body falling out of bounds.

The block was completely silent. There was no authoritative smack to intimidate the other players, like Akagi or Sakuragi did with their blocks—just like an assassin, Hiroshi simply appeared and finished his work before anyone knew what had happened. He knew the block was true before he even fully got it—his fingers grazed the underside of the ball before the rest of his hand followed. Hiroshi was able to fully cup the ball before he literally flung it back towards the opposite side of the court.

There was a stunned hush from both the court and the audience as the ball zipped past Miyagi and Sakuragi's heads, neither of them having expected the ball to go anywhere but through the hoop. Even the Shohoku bench just sat there, mouths agape at the seemingly impossible block.

Hiroshi landed on his feet and managed two steps backwards to try and catch his balance before he failed, tumbling onto his rear. He reached out wildly and by sheer dumb luck managed to avoiding getting squashed by Hiromu, the two a tangle on the floor. Neither was able to catch the fact that the ball rolled to nearly the three-point line before Tsuchiya scooped it up and prepared to race in for a dunk while the Shohoku defense was unaware. The other players were catching up, but the only people in front of Tsuchiya—Sakuragi and Miyagi—were way out of position.

"Sakuragi! Get—" Before Miyagi could finish his command, the whistle instantly shrieked as Mitsui reached in from behind and grabbed Tsuchiya across his forearm. Tsuchiya was crafty enough to instantly pretend like he was about to shoot, though Mitsui had already prevented him from putting any sort of shot up. A shriek of a whistle pierced the air, stopping the action.

"Shooting foul, #5!" the referee barked, waving his hands. The Daiei High supporters erupted into cheers, still pleased to hear that there would be an opportunity for points. However, none of the Daiei High members looked happy about the development, particularly Toshiya, who was dazed.

"Where'd the rookie come from?" Toshiya coughed, his eyes darting to where Hiromu and Hiroshi were, the two picking themselves off the floor. "That sort of block… he's not a shot blocking type, was he?"

Meanwhile, the bench of Shohoku was still on their feet, having leapt from their seats after the block.

"I don't mean to sound stupid," Ookusu mumbled, the rest of the Sakuragi Army looking as stunned as he was, "but doesn't the foul mean that all Hiro did was for waste?"

"No," Kogure spoke up. "It's not just about scoring. Even when teams are equally matched, they don't always just trade baskets. Basketball is a game of momentum and runs. Typically teams have patches where they shoot extremely well and the other team just can't make anything."

"So what you're saying is," Youhei said, "is that Shohoku just got back into this game."

"Absolutely," Kogure mumbled, adjusting his glasses. "That block killed the scoring run, and then Mitsui's foul killed their momentum. Even if they make the free throws, we did the only thing important to fight off a run—getting rid of momentum."

Kogure's fists clenched, barely able to quell his excitement.

"Everything's back at square one. With the way Shohoku has been playing, they can catch back up for sure. And then, maybe…"

"Hey!"

Those within hearing distance of the court were surprised to see none other than Hiroshi yelling at the other Shohoku players, one finger up to the scoreboard. Some of his words came out in a rasp, his voice clearly not completely back.

"We don't win by just wishing for it!"

The others could only stare in shock, caught off guard at Hiroshi's resolute words. Hiroshi's gaze was no longer that coolly analytical stare that was unperturbed by anything happening on the court, but instead was fiery with competition.

"He's right guys," Miyagi said, sidling up to the freshman's side. "We're not playing with intensity. Let's get back on track."

"Right, Ryo-chin!" Sakuragi shouted, pumping himself up as he skipped to a spot as everyone lined up for Tsuchiya's free throw. Anzai, in a burst of inspiration, reached for his clipboard and started drawing out something, his chubby fingers moving a bit quicker than usual in his excitement.

_Yes, Hiroshi-kun…_ Anzai thought from his spot on the bench as he continued to scribble out a plan. _Sometimes, showing your emotions also calms others down…_

"Ayako-senpai."

Ayako glanced up and was pleasantly surprised to see Hiroshi now in front of the Shohoku bench, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. Ayako shot a quick look around, not expecting the freshman to have been behind the free-throw line extended.

"Aren't you supposed to be under the basket?" Ayako wondered aloud, seeing that it was Sakuragi, Rukawa, and Mitsui who had lined up to catch the rebound. Hiroshi didn't reply to the question. Miyagi, who was on the opposite side of the court, hid a smile as if he knew what was about to take place.

_Dad… are you watching?_

"I'd like that name change on the roster today."

Ayako stared at the rookie blankly, at first not quite getting it. Then, with a bright, sunny smile, she reached for her roster sheet, now understanding as she recalled his words from the bus trip to the match. "Kawasaki Hiroshi, right?"

"Yes," Hiroshi replied, not minding the other Shohoku players that were listening in on the conversation. "Thank you."

_Can you see me now?_

Tsuchiya made both of his free-throws, the scores now clicking to 60-53. Rukawa took the ball out, waiting for Miyagi to run back over to Daiei's side of the court so he could get the inbounds. Meanwhile, Hiroshi watched the Daiei High defense set up, moving away from the Shohoku bench as he prepared for the offensive possession.

As soon as Miyagi crossed the half-court line with the ball, deftly avoiding Matsumaru's reach-ins, he shot a bounce pass to Hiroshi outside the three-point line. Hiromu was a step slow to come guard him and in that instant, Hiroshi noticed what Fujima and the others had—the Daiei High defense had already discounted any possibility of Hiroshi attacking, since he had not had any touches for so long.

Hiroshi's eyes darted from Hiromu to the post.

_Guarding too close for me to just shoot. Good floor spacing. Mitsui to my right, Rukawa down the lane, opposite side. Daiei High center not cheating on Sakuragi, the inside should be free to—_

Hiroshi instantly burst into a dash towards the baseline, driving past Hiromu with unexpected speed. Ken, realizing his mistake far too late, moved to rotate off Sakuragi and trap Hiroshi under the basket. However, Hiroshi had no thoughts of just gently going in for a layup—he leapt into the air from the opposite side of the basket before swinging around, bumping into their bodies but not minding or even noticing as he threw down a huge reverse left-handed dunk on both Ken and Hiromu. The move was aggressive enough to leave the other Shohoku starters staring in numb shock as Hiroshi crashed to the floor, the rim still rattling above him as the referee's whistle went off.

"Pushing foul, #8! Basket COUNTS!"

The crowd instantly erupted, the dunk more than enough to rile up the Shohoku supporters again. Even the Daiei High supporters found themselves murmuring amongst each other at the play.

"Go monkey arms!" someone from the crowd shouted, referencing Hiroshi's huge wingspan.

"Hiroshi! Hell yeah!" The Shohoku bench burst into cheers, the benchwarmers getting to their feet in excitement over Hiroshi's dunk. Sakuragi was the first over to Hiroshi, hauling the rookie's entire body weight up with only one arm before he slapped a high five with the freshman, the other starters just as excited as the crowd.

"Nice drive," Miyagi offered, giving Hiroshi a pat on the rear as he went for his free-throw. Hiroshi managed no expression at the entire sequence of events.

Kawasaki Hiroshi shot the free-throw and turned back as soon as it left his hand. He knew it was good; he was in the zone, honed and focused, and now he wanted to do nothing but play until he burnt himself out. In his mind's eye was not really the game or the fatigue sapping the strength from his every movement or even the cries of the crowd: but that brief scene again in his mind, unshakeable and haunting.

"_Still into basketball?"_

Someday, he would give up the sport. He knew it. He knew he was living a dream right now, three years of pretending that maybe, for a second, he was pro. Three years of chasing a championship.

It would all be over after that. Ayame was right. He couldn't do this forever. He would eventually leave it all behind when he graduated and be left with nothing but the memories. He would watch it on television and play it on weekends and get a job and get married and teach his kids that there was something that he used to play for a few wonderful years of his life called basketball. That there was no justice in this world, but there was something called determination and maybe that was all you needed.

_Yeah. Yeah, you know what? I think…_

…_I'll always be._

_

* * *

_

"**Toughness isn't beating your chest, swearing at the other team or being Mr. Macho. It's about raising your play when teams try to get tough with you."** -Shane Battier, one of my favorite NBA players

* * *

_Notes:_ The Slam Dunk timeline is extremely strange. Obviously the story was written in the 90's and generally stays true to that time, but in Takehiko-sensei's "Slam Dunk: 10 Days Later," Sakuragi's doctor references Yuta Tabuse coming to America. Yuta Tabuse is a whiz Japanese point guard who didn't even try out for the NBA until 2003 and finally played an NBA game in 2004, which sort of threw a wrench into what I thought the Slam Dunk's setting really was. A few reviewers mentioned that it seemed weird that Rukawa would have a cell-phone in one of my chapters because it was the 90s, but if Slam Dunk is really set in the 2000s, then cell-phone issue should have been a moot point.

However, if Slam Dunk was set in the 90s, then Hiroshi's backstory here would be a bit more ambiguous because the Showtime Lakers spanned from the 80s to the onset of the 90s. If that's the case, Hiroshi would have been absolutely devastated to hear things like Magic Johnson getting AIDs, Kareem retiring, etc. happen live—all the momentous moments and winding down of the Showtime era that would have taken place in the "present" if the Slam Dunk manga was taking place in the 90s. In addition, Hiroshi would not be talking so much about "watching tape" of the Showtime Lakers but instead would have seen a few games live on television as a child.

So how do we interpret all this?

I figure since Takehiko-sensei mentioned Yuta Tabuse, then Slam Dunk is not necessarily restricted to the 90s, but is just whatever time period Takehiko-sensei himself is living in. In which case, I think the Slam Dunk story (or at least mine) is officially in the 2000s, but not in present day, because Takehiko has not revisited the Slam Dunk world since the "10 Days Later" story.

So in that case, Hiroshi would still have been a kid around the Showtime era, and thus it would be reasonable to say that he had to watch tape of the Showtime Lakers in his teenage years because by then the Showtime era would have been over.

I think that's reasonable and as mentioned, I'm just trying to be as true to Takehiko's vision of Slam Dunk as possible. Cases can be made for the story being in the 90s or being in the 2000s, but I'm just going off what I think Takehiko is envisioning. At least, I hope I am.

If anyone has not read "Slam Dunk: 10 Days Later," be sure to give it a look-see to get your Slam Dunk fix.


	63. Chapter 62

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue __Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Reviews:**

I apologize for the late update everyone. It really has been a long time, and we're probably all older and wiser and what not. I hope that the story will be as good as you all remembered it to be as I dust off the cobwebs.

The greatest issue has obviously been writing, which has been difficult for me due to other commitments and even when I have time to write I have other hobbies other than writing. In addition I write nonlinearly and I'm driven off inspiration most of the time, so bits and pieces of other chapters right now are in waiting to be completed but those will have to wait until I get to them. I'm also going through a very busy time in my life, but that is not a story I want to bore any of you with. The Slam Dunk story on the other hand is one I want to tell, and rest assured, as I have said many times throughout this story's writing—I want to finish this story as I've planned it.

I apologize again. I know my slow updates are not fair to any of you who enjoy my story. I wish I had spare time to write, but sadly as this is not my profession, there's only so much time I can devote.

And I hope everyone is enjoying March Madness.

SailorMoon20114486 – Thanks! Yep, this was meant to be the chapter that fully established Hiroshi as a Shohoku player.

aisha4senru – Sorry, it was an even longer wait for this chapter. Thanks for the review.

YLCourt – Glad you liked 10 Days Later! There's been rumors that when Inoue-sensei finishes REAL he'll do Slam Dunk 2, so I thought it was nice to get a brief Slam Dunk fix from him before that.

Hiroshi is, by his nature, calm and collected—I based his personality off Kogure's, after all. However, he is still prone to an emotional outburst or two, as has been evidenced throughout my story. As you mentioned, this is the first time that Hiroshi has adopted a commanding presence on the basketball court and being able to actively lead a team to victory is a trait that all the Shohoku starters share (like the game-changing Sakuragi in the Sannoh match, for example, like you mentioned). This is simply his first time asserting that sort of role and I do plan on exploring his development further along with the other players.

And Shohoku's starting five at max strength has yet to truly be seen. Who knows if we will see it?

Jiece Reno – I don't deserve such kind words, but thank you. You always have wonderfully eloquent reviews for me and I really appreciate it.

I also feel like that the Hiroshi chapter was one of my better ones, and like you said, I really felt like I hit Inoue's voice—like how he would treat a character and such. So I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter, I had great fun writing it despite how long it took me. It was a lot of research and thinking because my natural writing is actually very different from Inoue so sometimes I struggle, even though Hiroshi is my OC.

I hope you've been doing well. Sorry it took me so long to update.

Iron Duke – Word up.

Champylin – Thanks a lot for the review! Sakuragi will shine whenever he decides to resume his Tensai ways, which is all the time.

Maliciousqueen – You really summed up my story eloquently, so thank you so much first for writing the review and secondly for liking my story. I hope you continue to read it; I'm trying my best to always improve.

As mentioned before, I do plan to go back and re-edit the earlier chapters so they're not quite as awful, but thank you for being honest about the earlier chapters—people tend to dodge the fact that they were actually very poorly written so I'm glad to see I wasn't wrong in seeing the flaws in my story.

Take care of yourself, please stick around because I hope to continue scratching everyone's Slam Dunk itch, including mine. And whoo, Sky Hook! Keep playing basketball, it's a great sport! I hope you continue to love basketball more and more.

Ventriloquist Draconis – Thank you very much for your kind words. I always felt that a lot of basketball fictions and even some of the mangas currently running in Japan, are so unrealistic that it saddens me. I think Inoue showed everyone that a sports manga can be realistic but still amazing yet no one can really duplicate him. I'm glad to hear you think I did a good job—I really try and make each player as human as possible in terms of their basketball game.

Migo – I am indeed a Rockets fan, for as long as I can remember. Hakeem made such a big impression on me, you know. Plus I'm a major Battier fan, so when he got to the Rockets I was ecstatic. He is the type of basketball player that I strongly admire, as are the Rockets in general, because they're really a scrappy, hard-fighting team which I enjoy watching.

Nigel – How are you? How's your ACL been? And what about your basketball team?

Hiroshi is not a lefty but has a decent left hand in basketball, better than some other people—at least that's how I picture it. Hiroshi, however, has a lot of things similar to the southpaw Tayshaun Prince, in terms of build and defensive game, and I drew a lot of inspiration from watching Tayshaun play.

Not to say I didn't have you in mind while writing Hiroshi though. =)

Crazyarsonist – I can only thank you for that immense review. I am always pleased, but mostly shocked by the response my fanfiction gets—I had never expected to have so many people that like the story and are impressed enough to consider it a true sequel. Takehiko may never read my story, but that you all do—and you all appreciate it—is more than enough for me to keep going.

To address all your points:

Sendoh is by no means perfect (except maybe his basketball game, from what Takehiko has driven into us) and I think that Laziness Incarnate (another author who I idolize on FF) portrayed him best in that he is actually very calculating, more so than he lets on, but it comes almost natural to him and he doesn't actively think about it. It is therefore difficult to know just which side of Sendoh you are dealing with, no matter how friendly he is. I wish there were flaws I could assign his basketball game, but Takehiko left us little to work with in that regard—in every scene he is shown to be the prototype point forward, star player, and above all, leader. He has no true weakness to speak of, which is why he is always considered to be better that Rukawa, even by Aizen.

Staying true to the original SD is my greatest desire and I'm very humbled when people say that I've done well. I know that in some cases it has not been completely satisfactory (particularly Rukawa, who I really struggled to write until recently), but I will keep improving. I often go back to the manga to reread certain passages so I can nail the character as closely as possible while still giving them "their" voice, which is to say they are not stagnant characters and will have to grow as I keep writing, as you pointed out.

I'll keep trying to write and make the story meet your expectations. Thank you again for reading my story and I hope you continue to stop by.

And always glad to see another NBA diehard. To voice my current thoughts, I think the Eastern Conference is getting a huge power shift and will probably soon be able to compete with the West overall. I think it's better that way, but with the impending lockout, maybe we won't get to see as much as we'd like.

Den077 – Thanks for the review!

Nathan – Here it is. And thanks for reviewing (twice!).

Konoha's White Fang – Thank you so much for your kind words, and for reading through my fiction! I hope you liked everything so far!

The Guitar Person – Thanks so much for the support! I'm very flattered.

I'M SO GLAD TO HEAR SOMEONE ELSE THOUGHT THE SLAM DUNK OVAS HAD POOR BASKETBALL. I cringed watching some of the OVAs because of how poorly and unrealistically done the basketball scenes were done. I wish they had hired people that knew the game of basketball and could craft a realistic story out of the characters.

Again, thank you so much for reviewing!

Dorawarrior – Glad to hear you're a defensive player—the basketball world needs more people like you. Thanks for the review!

Ace – Ohoho, thank you so much for your review and I hope I'm surprising you by rising from the grave. I do wish I could write full-time but that's not in the cards for me or for many people on , I imagine. But thank you so much for thinking I'm a good author, that means so much to me, and I hope that I can keep giving you a good and enjoyable story. And as one basketball fan to another, keep on loving the game for many more years to come!

maverickf14 – Those are indeed sacrilegious words! But thank you so much for liking my story. I actually have thought of writing a bit for Buzzer Beater but I don't hold the series as dear to my heart as Slam Dunk so I don't know if I'll get around to it. A lot of the series was a bit too fantastical for my liking.

StarSun – Will do! Thank you!

Ize19 – Thank you so much for your well-wishes. I will try and continue to fill that Slam Dunk gap until Inoue comes back to draw a second series!

SilverPink – Thank you so much for your comments. Hiroshi has been getting good responses and I'm glad to hear it.

Yep, Yoshiki is the son of the shoe shop owner. I thought it would be impossible for that basketball nut to not have similarly inclined children.

* * *

**Chapter 62 – The Big Two**

"What… is this…"

Matsumaru was struck dumb as he crossed the half-court line, now getting a full glimpse of Shohoku's defense. It had been odd enough that Miyagi had not hounded him the entire trip upcourt, but now he saw why.

"…Triangle and two defense!" Kogure realized, shooting a wild glance over at Anzai. The portly coach displayed nothing as the more basketball savvy in the crowd mumbled amongst themselves, surprised at the suddenly organized defense that Shohoku was displaying.

_So that was his plan, when Hiroshi was shooting his free-throw…_ Kogure thought to himself, shaking his head in disbelief. _But why…_

"Brilliant," Maki managed from the stands, unable to hide a smile as he directed an admiring glance to Anzai at the benches. _Truly fearsome indeed, "White-Haired Devil." While the Daiei High coach has been unable to impose any sort of presence on the game, you've continually adapted to both how your players are doing and the current situation. _

_Dr. T: There are numerous types of set defenses. Shohoku runs __"man-to-man"__ most of the time, in which each person is assigned to guard an opposing player on the other team. In this game, the "__2-3 zone__" was also employed early in the match. __Zone __is a defensive philosophy that involves each player on defense takes care of a "zone," or area, instead of guarding a specific person the entire time. The __"triangle and two__" is one of the hybrid defenses that combines elements of zone and man-to-man. Specific to "triangle and two" is the formation of a triangle by three defenders near the basket, with the tip of the triangle being someone at the free throw line and the base of the triangle being two defenders on each side of the basket (these three players form the "zone" aspect of defense), and the other two defenders are sent to mark two specific offensive players (the "man-to-man" part). _

Matsumaru surveyed his options, realizing that no one was truly guarding him. Instead Miyagi was the tip of the triangle, resting at the free-throw line and catching his breath. Toshiya, the sickly shooting guard of Daiei, did not seem the slightest bit pleased at this new defense.

"What are you guys doing?" Toshiya wheezed, eyes only half-open. Toshiya's surprise seemed justified however, as Hiromu now stood completely unguarded, a move that the crowd was beginning to pick up on.

"Hiromu's open! What are they thinking?" someone cried in confusion. Those knowledgeable in basketball tactics however, such as Maki and the others, only observed this development quietly.

"Hiroshi is standing down there with Sakuragi," Fujima noted, eyes narrowing. "Looks like they're trying to utilize his height more and conserve his energy as well."

Indeed, with Miyagi as the tip of the triangle, Sakuragi and Hiroshi made up the two points of the base, with the two tall players now standing on either side of the basket to deter any potential drivers.

Tsuchiya, meanwhile, was standing stationary on offense for the first time tonight. The defense seemed to confuse him for the briefest of moments, as it did for the other Daiei High players. The rest of the Shohoku players were also clamoring amongst themselves, unsure of what to make of this.

"I see now," Kogure whispered, the other players near him eavesdropping on his analysis. "This is the way to stop Hiromu and Tsuchiya if they're both on the floor. There's no possible way we can match their stamina—their offense is too perfectly built around Tsuchiya for us to guard everyone at once without proper rest. So… we have to give up on a player."

"And that is Hiromu?"

Everyone turned to the surprise source of the voice: Haruko. In fact, an air of curiosity and authority surrounded her, one not unlike Ayako's.

Kogure paused, partly startled. It had been quite some time since Haruko had shown an interest in the analytical side of basketball. He pushed up his glasses as he continued speaking.

"You can't give up on Tsuchiya because he can do it all. And normally, you would think you could never give up on Hiromu—he can put the ball in the basket as well as anyone I've seen. But Mitsui, through his defense in the first half, has shown Hiromu's weak spot is his lack of an outside jumper.

"So Hiroshi instead stays back, to guard the post. Hiroshi plays defense every second if you play him man-to-man: he never takes a play off. If you tell him to not try his hardest to shut down the other player, he would never listen to you. But if you force him to lay back in a zone defense with an assigned role, he saves strength. This way even though Hiroshi is not as fast as Hiromu, he can guard the basket along with Sakuragi."

_What a quick adjustment,_ Kogure thought to himself, shooting an admiring glance at Anzai. _His coaching is both risky and amazing. To instantly adjust to Hiroshi's weakness, but also to realize the weakness in the other team, and at the same time to combine all they've learned early on into this crucial period in the match…._

"No one on Shohoku plays bad defense, when motivated," Ayako spoke up, advising Haruko further. "But that is the problem—motivation. Hiroshi is not our best defender, but because he is so actively moving and thinking on every play, he appears to be that much better. The others need some convincing, on occasion."

At this, Ayako waved her trustworthy fan, causing the other players to titter nervously.

"Then who would be our best defenders?" Haruko asked, eyes wide. All of this was news to her—despite all Ayako had taught her as manageress, most of it had not been about the technical side of basketball. Ayako had brought her along slowly because of Haruko's character: she only knew the surface of the sport, the feelings, the emotions, the highs. She was a spectator at heart.

But that didn't matter, after all. Because of her love of basketball, she could learn. Be shaped. And Ayako knew this, and knew why Haruko would be her successor.

Ayako made a smile and motioned towards the court.

"Just take a look at the two players that will keep playing man-to-man."

Everyone turned to see the two defenders floating around the perimeter:

Mitsui Hisashi, the most experienced player on the court, his physical limitations compensated for by his brilliant basketball mind.

Rukawa Kaede, a supremely athletic specimen with superb reaction and reading abilities, capable of guarding nearly any and all types of players.

"Mitsui and Rukawa… scary…" Yasuda shivered, imaging having to be guarded by either of the two. The other players mumbled in agreement.

Haruko stared at the play slowly developing and also nodded to herself, understanding. Of course it would have to be those two, she seemed to say—and this reaction widened Ayako's smile.

"Haruko, I do think it's time you started to spend some time on the bench, next to me."

"What?" Haruko started, whirling to meet Ayako's bright expression, a look of confusion on her face. She quickly waved a hand in front of her. "Oh, nonono, I—"

"I know you like to be in the stands," Ayako interrupted. She stood, fan in hand, and made a gesture towards her empty seat. "But don't you want to see the game like your brother saw it? Like Rukawa sees it?"

Haruko could only stare at Ayako, wide-eyed.

"This team can't conquer the nation with just me as manageress, remember?"

A blush appeared on Haruko's face as she quickly snapped her gaze back to the game, embarrassed that she hadn't been as proactive as she had originally planned to be.

"Ayako-san," she managed after a few moments, her voice soft. "I… I want to help them win."

Ayako returned to her seat, leaning forward and tilting her head to make sure Haruko met her eyes. Everyone on the bench now wore a smile.

"We've been waiting for you."

* * *

The triangle and two had more psychological impact than even Anzai expected: the Daiei High offense had fallen into stagnancy. However, when the shot clock began to click down to its final seconds, once again Daiei High revealed why it was a team worthy of the Inter-Highs.

Tsuchiya started a slow walk towards the middle of the court, as if he was casually wandering the streets. Rukawa's senses were fully alert; anticipating what was coming before it even occurred. In an instant Tsuchiya burst into a sprint, causing Rukawa to back up a few steps in expectation before Tsuchiya hopped sideways, surprising the star Shohoku player long enough for Tsuchiya to change directions completely and race for the baseline.

Matsumaru instantly noticed the cutter and whipped a quick pass down low, threading a needle right over Miyagi's shoulder and under Sakuragi's outstretched arms. The brilliant half-court offense of Daiei High could not be denied as Tsuchiya grabbed the pass and tossed the ball up for the reverse layup—

—just in time for a lanky arm to instantly pin the ball against the backboard, erasing the potential score.

"Hiroshi!" the Shohoku bench erupted as Hiroshi grabbed his own block after releasing the ball. The rookie's eyes were bright and focused with an abnormal energy, a fact that Miyagi noted with unease. The other Daiei High players ran back onto defense, with Tsuchiya and Toshiya exchanging looks as if acknowledging that Shohoku's defense had taken an unexpected step up.

Hiroshi dropped a bounce pass down to Miyagi as all the players burst into a run, with Miyagi and Sakuragi leading the attack to put pressure on the still disarrayed Daiei High defense. The two split after crossing the half-court line, with Miyagi slowing for the briefest of seconds as Sakuragi and then Rukawa dashed past him.

"Hey, Mitsui! Get in position!" Miyagi shouted over his shoulder as Matsumaru advanced to defend Miyagi. However instead of watching for Mitsui as his words would have implied, Miyagi whipped a huge no-look pass up into the air. With a thunderous roar, Sakuragi grabbed the pass in mid-air and slammed a dunk right over Ken, igniting the crowd and the Shohoku bench.

"The red-haired monkey is as insane as ever!" people shouted, excited at the flashy offensive sequence. Miyagi and Sakuragi pointed at each other in acknowledgement as the Shohoku players veered back onto defense, the attack having been so fast that Hiroshi and Mitsui had not even crossed the half-court line. Miyagi instantly advanced back onto Matsumaru as Daiei began to inbound the ball, applying full court pressure once again.

"Shohoku's offense opens up in transition," Maki observed from the stands, arms across his chest. "That run and gun style they used to have still suits them, I'd say."

Matsumaru pushed the ball hard upcourt, trying to lose Miyagi. After crossing the half-court line he immediately slowed as Miyagi ran past him, settling at the free-throw line. The Shohoku triangle defense once again fell into position seamlessly, almost as if it had been practiced beforehand.

_Despite all your flashy ways your basketball IQ is amazing, Miyagi,_ Matsumaru thought to himself, waiting for Tsuchiya to start creating pores in the newly established defense.

However, much to everyone's surprise, Tsuchiya did not move at all and instead remained parked outside the arc. Even Rukawa seemed a bit cautious at this development and decided to body up Tsuchiya a bit closer in case the Daiei High forward decided to do some sort of quick cut to the basket. Matsumaru shot the ball over to Toshiya instead, the sickly forward being closely marked by Mitsui.

"Experiment time," Toshiya announced in a raspy cough. Mitsui blinked, unsure of what the statement implied before Toshiya made a frightening burst of speed, one that none of the Shohoku players had witnessed before as he easily got past Mitsui.

"Lost my man!" Mitsui shouted as he turned, but was stunned to see that Toshiya had not run straight for the basket but instead froze for the briefest of seconds. A slightly peeved look transiently passed across the sickly guard's face, one that no one noticed due to its brevity. Mitsui made a few quick strides over to cover Toshiya but was unable to recover his defensive assignment as Toshiya decided to resume his course of action and drove right for the basket. Mitsui slowed, realizing he could no longer catch up—but Toshiya's unspoken reason for pausing made itself clear to Mitsui:

Hiroshi now stood between Toshiya in the basket, the lanky rookie's entire body tensed and ready.

"Amazing weak-side reaction," Jin whispered from his spot in the bleachers, more to himself than to anyone else. "Just… amazing."

_Dr. T: In basketball, the "strong" side typically refers to the side of the court with the ball, and the "weak" side is the side of the court without it._

Toshiya's reason for pausing was not the fact that there had been someone in his way. As Toshiya raced for the basket, cradling the ball close to his body as he prepared to lay a floater up, it became clear why he had stopped, even for the briefest of moments.

It was not that someone was there. It was that Hiroshi, of all those on Shohoku, _should not have been there in the first place._

Think again, of the triangle and two—a triangle near the rim, and two players roaming the perimeter. Hiroshi and Sakuragi made up the base of the triangle at the rim, each marking one side of the basket, with Miyagi at the free-throw line. The only way that Hiroshi could have possibly reacted in time was for him to completely abandon guarding his "zone" on the _other_ side of the basket, since the side that Toshiya was attacking was the one with Sakuragi marking Ken under the basket. Even if Miyagi had rotated over from the free-throw line it would have been less of a surprise.

If Sakuragi or Miyagi had tried to defend him, at least Toshiya could throw a pass to Ken or back out to Matsumaru respectively. Instead of Toshiya having a relatively easy path to the basket or forcing either Sakuragi or Miyagi to collapse on him, now Toshiya could only risk a pass across court to Hiromu or take the shot himself over the much taller Hiroshi.

Hiroshi had not only completely reacted to a play that had been in the middle of development, but was also the sole greatest deterrent to Toshiya's attack.

_Shit,_ Toshiya thought before the ball even left his fingers. His worst suspicions materialized when a dull smack rang throughout the lower levels of the stadium, Hiroshi having rejected Toshiya's shot as if he was spiking a volleyball back across a net. The ball slammed back towards the other side of the court, with Miyagi and Matsumaru both reacting instantly as they raced to seize the loose ball.

"Ugh!" Miyagi grunted as he dove for the ball, sliding on his stomach. Matsumaru quickly hopped over Miyagi's still moving body to avoid getting tripped. Before anyone could grab the ball from him or force a jump ball Miyagi tapped a weak pass forward towards Shohoku's basket, counting completely on one of the Shohoku players to get it.

His trust was well-placed as Rukawa raced past the two point guards, Tsuchiya tight on his heels. Rukawa bent low and hit the ball back down in mid-bounce, seamlessly turning the awkward pass into a dribble. Tsuchiya tried his best to cut Rukawa off, but the Shohoku star was simply far too fast and athletic and continued to blaze for the basket. Tsuchiya managed to remain hip-to-hip with Rukawa, making the chance for a score as difficult as possible. However, instead of taking it straight to the rim as expected, Rukawa came to a screeching halt right at the free throw line, leaving Tsuchiya to stumble past him.

"What?" Tsuchiya whirled around in time to see Rukawa calmly drop a pass off to Mitsui, who was running unmarked by any defender. Tsuchiya recovered enough to reach forward and foul Mitsui, but not before the shooter had managed a soft layup that bounced through the rim.

"Shooting foul, #4! Basket counts!" the referee shouted, being met with loud roars from the Shohoku supporting audience. The Rukawa Brigade was also slowly waking up again, their cries of encouragement beginning to overwhelm others in the audience.

"Great defense, Hiroshi! Great job guys!" the Shohoku bench yelled as the other Shohoku players crossed the half-court line to get into position for Mitsui's free-throw. Hiroshi didn't acknowledge any of this as the scores clicked to 60-60, the teams finally tied again after Daiei High's early second-half lead.

Meanwhile, Tsuchiya and Toshiya were sharing words amongst each other, refusing to immediately line up for Mitsui's free-throw. As the refs moved to split the two up and stop their delaying of the game, Miyagi walked over to the Shohoku bench area.

"Ryota doesn't have to line up, he's the safety player against fast breaks off free-throw rebounds," Ayako whispered to Haruko in explanation before flashing Miyagi a smile once the captain was within earshot. This smile, however, quickly faded when instead of a typical doofus reaction on Miyagi's part, he merely gave her a curt nod.

"What's wrong?" Ayako instantly asked, reading her new boyfriend easily.

Miyagi wiped his brow before he spoke:

"Get ready to take Hiroshi out."

"What?" The Shohoku players gave each other, and their captain, confused looks. Anzai, sitting at the other end of the bench, overheard everything but made no move to overrule Miyagi's decision. Miyagi faced his team as he explained his decision.

"He's running on pure adrenaline right now. Once he crashes, he's going to crash _hard_." Miyagi shot a glance towards Ayako and nodded slightly. "We can only hope that he can ride that wave until the game is over. But if he can't—and I'm sure you or Anzai or one of the others will see it before us—you have to substitute him out as soon as possible. He was barely doing anything before this insane rush and it's safe to say that once that rush runs out, he's not even going to be able to keep up with any of us."

Ayako could only nod in agreement as Mitsui prepared to shoot his free-throw on the other end of the court. There was only 8:36 minutes left in the game.

"Kakuta-kun will be the substitute, if necessary," Anzai spoke up, his gentle voice authoritative. Miyagi and his coach met eyes, the two silently agreeing with each other's judgment.

"We'll take care of it," Haruko declared. Miyagi flashed the two manageresses a weak smile before a clean swish signified Mitsui having made his free throw, ending their conversation with the Shohoku captain. Miyagi jogged off to defend Matsumaru full-court, wanting to apply as much pressure as he could despite the ache in his muscles.

However, instead of Matsumaru handling the ball upcourt, it was Hiromu. An adjustment had already been made. Miyagi, unsure of how to deal with this, instead fell into his position at the free-throw line.

"Looks like a pick and roll or something!" Mitsui shouted in warning just as Daiei High's players sprung into action. Tsuchiya raced straight for Miyagi, looming up behind him. The short point guard shot a glance over his shoulder and saw Rukawa keeping pace, meaning Miyagi didn't have to switch off Matsumaru.

However, what came next Miyagi didn't expect: the unmarked Hiromu dashed right past Miyagi, heading straight for Hiroshi and Sakuragi.

_There's no way he could get past those two, no matter how good he is_, Miyagi thought, just before Tsuchiya raced around Miyagi. Realization dawned on Miyagi the second after.

"Lost our man!" Miyagi screamed, dashing into action as he moved away from his zone to go guard Matsumaru. Tsuchiya was now open—and it was just as Mitsui had predicted.

A pick and roll. But no one had expected that they would use the unaware Miyagi as a screen to leave Rukawa behind.

Hiromu shot a pass to the unmarked Matsumaru before Miyagi could rotate over. Matsumaru immediately made a pass of his own to the now-open Tsuchiya, who lifted into the air and his jumper again found nothing but the bottom of the net.

Rukawa stepped out of bounds to inbound the ball, not commenting on the defensive breakdown. Miyagi immediately spoke up while his teammates were still in hearing range.

"My bad, guys. I—" Miyagi's eyes suddenly widened, an idea shooting through his head.

"Rukawa. What if we double-team Tsuchiya?"

The Shohoku ace made a bounce pass inbounds, pondering the suggestion for a brief moment.

"It could work," Rukawa replied quietly before breaking into a jog, trying to get onto offense as quickly as he could. "Switch over if they run the same play."

Miyagi nodded before motioning for Shohoku's next offensive sequence: isolation play for Sakuragi. The player in question, however, had no idea what the hand gestures meant.

"Oi, Ryo-chin! When am I going to get the ball?" Sakuragi shouted from below the basket, holding one arm up. Before he could continue his tirade, Ken abruptly rotated in front, denying Sakuragi the pass.

"Hm?" Sakuragi's competitive spirit began to burn anew as he rotated back in front of Ken to get open. In response, Ken shoved his way back to the front.

"Out of my way, Pineapple Head!" Sakuragi growled, ducking his head low as he powered his way in front of Ken once again. At that very instant, Miyagi shot a quick bounce pass to Sakuragi before the situation got any worse.

_Damnit, he pushed Sakuragi farther from the basket than I would like,_ Miyagi thought in displeasure as he raced away from the dueling centers, drawing Matsumaru away.

Mitsui was again tasked with being the secondary offensive option in case Sakuragi ran into trouble, something that Mitsui was now realizing has become a recurring theme of the night. Because Sakuragi, for however many points he's scored, only had occasional moments of brilliance against Ken directly.

As Sakuragi made his move, it soon became clear why, despite the fact that Sakuragi had improved his post-game greatly and had shown Mikio from Sannoh that his offense was now a legitimate threat, Ken was a true match for the redhead.

Turn. Pump-fake. Dribble. A powerful shoulder into Ken's chest to clear space. Another. Inches closer to the basket. Pause. Another pump fake. Duck under. Step-through. Lift into the air—

And Ken was still there between Sakuragi and the basket.

_He's learning. Just like Sakuragi did during games, while Sakuragi learns how to refine his post game, Ken is also learning how to beat his opponent—_

A resounding block rang through the gym as Ken erased Sakuragi's shot, the loose ball winding up in the hands of Hiromu. Fortunately Shohoku surged back onto defense in an instant, preventing the potential fast break.

As Daiei High again fell into a methodical half-court offense, on the sidelines, Yayoi, ever the vigilant reporter, quickly took notice of the implications of the last play.

_Osaka wasn't known for producing good centers. But first Takuma from Ryonan and now Ken…is Osaka again rising as a basketball power?_

She broke from her thoughts when the slap of the ball against palm met her ears, Hiromu having thrown a pass over to Tsuchiya who had once again briefly broken free in an exact copy of the previous offensive sequence Daiei High had run. This time, however, Miyagi was quick to react and joined Rukawa in double-teaming the Daiei High captain.

"Matsumaru and Hiromu are unmarked… to go to such lengths to stop Tsuchiya…" Yayoi mumbled, tapping a pen against her temple in thought. The decision seemed to be paying off, however, as Tsuchiya was forced to give up his dribble due to the defensive pressure of the combined forces of Rukawa and Miyagi.

"Miyagi's hand speed is too quick, he can get a steal easily if Rukawa is there to back him up," Kogure noted to the other Shohoku players. "Tsuchiya will be forced to give the ball back out to—"

His prediction was cut short when Toshiya blazed over to help, somehow a step ahead of Mitsui. Tsuchiya made a quick behind-the-back bounce pass right to the shooting guard, who changed direction as soon as he caught the ball and cut hard for the basket.

"In your dreams!" Sakuragi declared defiantly, moving over to defend the rim. Toshiya made a minute head fake that caused Sakuragi to tense involuntarily before he lifted right into the air, making a soft one-handed hook over both Sakuragi and Hiroshi's outstretched arms.

62-61. Daiei High once again with the lead.

"Great job, Toshiya!" the crowd cheered, the sickly vice-captain coughing in response as he backpedaled onto defense with the rest of his team.

"What happened?" Miyagi asked Mitsui as soon as he took the inbounds pass. Mitsui locked his jaw, clearly displeased.

"After Hiromu handed the ball off, none of you guys noticed… but he moved over to set a screen so Toshiya could get loose."

"I noticed," Hiroshi managed in a soft, crackly whisper before he pointed to his throat. "But can barely talk."

_Sakuragi can't tell what's going on during defense, and both me and Rukawa were too occupied with Tsuchiya to warn Mitsui… what can we do? _The gears in Miyagi's head turned as he instinctively shouted words of encouragement.

"We have to shake them! Pull the scores apart!" Miyagi commanded his fellow players, a finger raised to the scoreboards. "We're here to win!"

"Right!" The Shohoku players moved together to attack, about to renew their charge before their vigor was instantly quenched by the defense that met them.

The Daiei High's defensive formation had completely changed. What was once man-to-man was now:

"… 3 and 2," Hiroshi identified in another rasp as he jogged downcourt alongside his teammates.

_Dr. T: __3-2 zone defense__ is another type of zone defense. It's the opposite of __2-3 zone__**. **__2 and 3 zone__ requires 2 players to have defensive zones on the perimeter, with 3 players in the post. The 2-3 zone defense is designed to stop penetration and keep the big players protecting the paint instead of moving out to guard other players. The __3-2 zone__ is the opposite: 3 players are on the perimeter, and 2 in the post. It's designed to counter teams with good perimeter play and outside shooting. The 3 players are expected to play aggressive defense. The weakness of this zone is teams with good penetration or plays that can attack from the corner can cause a lot of problems._

_Sakuragi: But why did the old man make us play __2-3__ earlier? You never explained that. And why do I have to listen to all these different defenses? I don't want to learn any of them!_

_Dr. T: __2 and 3__ was used in the first half because Mitsui was on the bench. To cover Kuwata's defensive weakness, a 2-3 zone was used because Anzai expected that Daiei would easily be able to beat Kuwata and get to the basket. With 3 players always staying back to guard the basket, even if someone cannot mark his man, scoring a basket against 3 players will be difficult. All these different zone defenses are important to know because they are used regularly in organized basketball and understanding what a zone defense is will help not just Sakuragi but also any people that wants to watch basketball on television—zone defense is commonly used in modern basketball and will be mentioned a lot in broadcasts!_

"3 and 2?" Mitsui repeated, skepticism in his voice. "That means…"

"They think our outside shooting is more dangerous than our ability to score in the paint," Miyagi finished, shooting Sakuragi a glance. The fiery redhead instantly recognized what this meant.

"Those bastards," Sakuragi quavered, eyes alight with anger. Before anyone could stop him, Sakuragi burst into such a fast sprint that it shocked everyone that observed it—he seemed as if the game had just started and was as fresh as ever.

Sakuragi crashed into Ken, disorienting the other center for a brief moment as he whirled back around to face his approaching teammates.

"Give me the ball, Ryo-chin!" Sakuragi roared, only to be interrupted by Ken again fighting his way in front to stop the entry pass.

_This is not good,_ Miyagi noted glumly, eyeballing the matchup with trepidation. _Ken doesn't seem to be bothered by Hanamichi even though he's still so full of energy…_

Electing to play it safe, Miyagi faked a bounce pass down to Sakuragi before whipping a pass over to Rukawa. This of course did not please Sakuragi.

"What the hell, Ryo-chin? I'm right—" Sakuragi was shoved back a step by Ken before he could finish his sentence, the mohawked center now in between Sakuragi and Rukawa so even Rukawa, if he had wanted to pass to Sakuragi, now couldn't.

Rukawa gave the two dueling centers a glance before he refocused onto Tsuchiya. The zone mattered little to him—Rukawa knew exactly how to attack any defensive set. Rukawa burst into a hard drive right for the basket, his athleticism far too much for Tsuchiya to handle. By his second step he was already slightly ahead of Tsuchiya—

—and by his third all three Daiei High perimeter players had collapsed on him.

"Triple-team!" Miyagi shouted in alarm, none of the Shohoku players having expected Daiei High to trap Rukawa so aggressively. Rukawa's eyes widened in surprise, evidentially also caught off guard. Rukawa lifted into the air and shot a blind over-the-head pass to exactly the right person in the situation to make Daiei High pay: Mitsui, who was wide open in the corner.

The pass was instead picked off by Ken.

"What? What's Ken doing there?" Shohoku's bench shouted in surprise. It soon became clear to everyone what had happened, however—Daiei High had read the play perfectly, and despite the massive gamble of completely leaving Sakuragi open under the basket, it had worked.

"I can't believe this," Kogure stated, wide-eyed. Ayako, sitting nearby, started to feel unease creep into her stomach.

"This adjustment is too perfect… how could they have known?"

Kogure had no immediate answer, instead troubled by his own thoughts.

_Rukawa made an amazing pass—he couldn't even see where the others were when he lifted into the air, yet he knew that Mitsui would be there in the corner. But for Ken to just rotate off Sakuragi like that… _

"Instinct," Kogure realized, a shiver creeping down his spine as it dawned on him what was troubling him so. "Just like Sakuragi in the Ryonan game when he stopped Sendoh's drive and forced a jump ball, Ken somehow just knew that Rukawa would make that pass. He somehow knew it would be the best pass in that scenario."

_They've picked up a frightening center, this one. His post defense is superb and this adaptability to the opposing team's offense…_

"Give me the ball!" Sakuragi directed his yell to the rafters, seemingly frustrated at everything that was occurring.

"Get back on D! Everyone!" Miyagi ordered the others, taking his own advice as he shot off to prevent any fast breaks. Daiei High, like they had done all game, was still slow to advance.

"Good job, Ken," Tsuchiya said, holding a hand out for the ball. "You read that well."

"Right, oya-bun," Ken mumbled, again displaying deferential tone and body language to Tsuchiya before he jogged off onto offense, pleased with the praise.

Tsuchiya turned, ready to handle the ball upcourt before a surprise appeared in front of him.

Rukawa, down in defensive position, ready for a full-court press.

"Well," Tsuchiya smiled, managing to prevent the shock he had received from seeing the other ace already guarding him from leaking into his voice, "you certainly can do it all."

Rukawa gave no response. Tsuchiya's smile quickly faded as he put the ball on the floor, now forced to deal with the intense defensive pressure of Rukawa. Tsuchiya managed to make it across court by the eight second mark with much struggle, but this fact was not lost upon the other Shohoku players, who had not seen Tsuchiya actively handle the ball much.

_His handles are nowhere near as good as guys like Sendoh or Eiji,_ Miyagi observed from his position at the free-throw line, catching his breath. _He plays off the ball too much to get a strong feel for the skills that Rukawa has—the ability to create your own offense from start to finish._

While Miyagi formulated a counter-plan based off this new information, Tsuchiya made a pass-off to Matsumaru before settling into a spot at the three-point arc. Rukawa took a glance over his shoulder to make sure there were no screens behind for Tsuchiya to take advantage of before refocusing his attention on his target.

_He's as good as everyone says,_ Tsuchiya noted to himself, having been forced to endure Rukawa's on-the-ball defense. _He's played so many minutes and I haven't made a single defensive assignment easy for him, yet there he was, stepping right up to guard me full-court. This is what separates the good players from the great players._

Tsuchiya hid a smile as Matsumaru fired a pass to Toshiya, who was being guarded by Mitsui. _You may not see me as a challenge, but I promised you earlier—regardless of how much better you are than me at one-on-one, my team play will bring Daiei to victory. _

Toshiya held the ball over his head, wheezing the entire time as if he had some sort of respiratory disease. Mitsui couldn't help but grimace, worried that he may catch something from the odd shooting guard.

"Nice defensive positioning," Toshiya observed aloud. It was hard to tell if he was being sarcastic.

"Shut up," Mitsui responded, feeling that response covered all bases whether Toshiya was sarcastic or not. Toshiya swung the ball back down, baiting Mitsui to try and steal. Mitsui made no such move but Toshiya reacted as if he had, bursting into an explosion of unexpected speed, the same sort of speed that had caught Mitsui off-guard multiple times in the match.

_This guy's rhythm… when he makes a play and when he doesn't… it's all weird!_

Toshiya managed to get a step ahead of Mitsui, heading in a beeline right for Sakuragi. Sakuragi made to move forward to meet the challenge.

"Don't rotate off Ken," Hiroshi managed in a papery rasp to Sakuragi, the power forward's eyes steely with newfound confidence as he stepped up to guard the rim. "I got this."

Toshiya leapt into the air and Hiroshi immediately followed after, ready for the block, no, his new awareness now_ knowing_ he would get the block—before instantly realizing that he had been had.

Toshiya didn't have the ball anymore.

With a quick mid-air shovel pass, Toshiya handed the ball off to a streaking Tsuchiya, who had once again gotten free from Rukawa via a variety of screens that Hiroshi had not been able to notice behind him. Miyagi was racing in to help Rukawa but even he was not fast enough to stop Tsuchiya from making a simple lay-in off the glass to stretch Daiei High's lead to 64-61.

The Shohoku bench, as well as the other Shohoku supporters, began to grow nervous. While Anzai sat like a statue at his spot on the bench, watching everything develop with the utmost calm, none of the other bench players possessed this same tranquility.

"Mitsui was right," Yasuda realized, remembering the vice-captain's words at half-time. "Toshiya… we didn't factor in Toshiya enough."

"The team isn't what we thought," Ayako stated quietly, glancing down at the stats sheet she had for Daiei High. "Stats can't tell how an offense is built. The offense is built perfectly around Tsuchiya. Everyone complements him."

"Right," Kogure agreed, eyebrows knit in worry. "Everything is set up perfectly for Tsuchiya to lead the team. Matsumaru to always deliver the ball at exactly the right moment, Ken to rebound and set screens, and Hiromu for the extra spark off the bench if we cheat off Tsuchiya. Akihiro was probably meant to complement Ken and help set screens for Tsuchiya."

Kogure found his hands were balled into fists, his own fighting spirit rising. How he wished he could be back on the court to help Shohoku. But…

"We made a mistake. We forgot to account for Toshiya, who had not done much all game. He is the perfect player to pair with Tsuchiya—the crafty, aggressive attacker for when Tsuchiya cannot immediately get free for a pass. Together, they're as fantastic a Big Two combo as I've ever seen."

Despite the worry from the bench, none of the Shohoku players seemed concerned—puzzled, maybe. Miyagi once again took the inbounds pass from Rukawa, displeased their earlier plan to double-team hadn't paid off.

"Shit… how do we deal with this…" Miyagi mumbled under his breath, assessing his team's status. His brain was working feverishly to come up with something, anything. He gave into his frustration and turned towards the referee.

"Timeou—"

"No," Mitsui interrupted, nudging Miyagi to get his attention. Discretely, Mitsui motioned over to Hiroshi, who was trudging back onto offense.

His earlier speed was gone. His eyelids, fluttering from fatigue. Due to inactivity to keep his mind off his body, his emotional high was wearing off.

Miyagi nodded, agreeing with Mitsui's decision to stop him before he had called the timeout. He knew how much effort it was taking Hiroshi to stay on the court. To call a timeout now would likely lead to Hiroshi never making it back off the bench due to exhaustion. To cut off Hiroshi's chance to give it his all after what the rookie was pouring into the team would be unfair.

Only one choice left, then.

"Hanamichi."

"Hm?" The redhead's attention was perked as Miyagi made sure to meet his eyes to emphasize the importance of the question.

"Can you beat Ken?"

Sakuragi scoffed. "What do you take this Tensai for? Just get me the ball and—"

"Can you beat him on this next play? For certain?"

Sakuragi didn't even have to mull it over. He met Miyagi's tone of voice with equal seriousness.

"Absolutely, I will."

Miyagi nodded, not surprised in the least at Sakuragi's confidence. It was what he expected. The thump of the ball meeting hardwood matched their march forward as all the Shohoku players advanced back onto offense, not looking defeated in the least.

"Then let's take this game back."


	64. Chapter 63

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Authors Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating the wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Reviews:**

As an apology for my lateness, the next chapter won't take as long to come up as this one did. Promise.

Hannah Shikari Revenge – People are free to write what they want, but I agree that very few take the time to make a meaningful fic. for Slam Dunk. I'm just lucky that everyone likes my story enough to keep reading it, and I'm lucky to have reviewers like you who flatter me so much.

Ah, the Dr. T. moments. Yes, the problem with Dr. T is that he's trying to explain something that might be technical or difficult to immediately understand if you don't have any experience with organized basketball. I don't quite know how to write things more simply—if you don't understand a term and Dr. T doesn't explain it well, I apologize. Your English is wonderful so it's probably a fault on my end.

I can only dream of getting this done into a manga.

Grimmquiorra – Thanks a lot for the review!

Writer's block and getting busy sucks. When I have writer's block on any particular chapter, I just start writing other chapters or other stuff I feel like writing. If I was never busy this entire thing would be along a lot farther than we are now.

Addicted to SD – Sorry to make you wait so long again. Thanks a lot for the review!

Man on the Side – Thanks a lot for the review and glad to see you back! We're all getting old but I hope that great readers like you can stick with me as we go through this ride together.

tensai di-chan – I will do everything I can to finish this work. As I've mentioned many times before, I know how I went to end everything—I just have to be able to get there. Thank you so much for sticking around until this point despite my slow updates, I cannot express how happy I am to have dedicated readers like you.

Iron Duke – You got it bro!

Laziness Incarnate – Always glad to hear it. Now are you going to start playing?

the girl in the green scarf – Glad to see you finally decide to review and glad to see I could help brighten your day a bit. Thank you so much for reviewing!

KoiGirlPGSM – Thank you!

Star7 – Thank you for all your comments and also for the constructive criticism, I appreciate that the most. And thank you for writing such a great deal.

Interesting that you mention the manga-style thing. I actually DO write thinking of actions in a manga-format, so it's why some people were complaining I switch scenes too quickly. It's good to see you don't mind it, but I'm trying to make it more literary lately as opposed to changing between characters abruptly. But I really like the manga style and frankly I write as if I would get a manga out of it all, which I won't but still.

I have always felt bad about my earlier chapters being so awful and it's a major reason I'm going back and re-editing them even as I continue updating. I hope that once I've re-written them they'll make more sense basketball-wise and character-wise. Thank you for noting what you didn't like, when I get to those chapters I'll think about why I wrote them a certain way and if I think I didn't write it well I will definitely change it.

The out-of-courts sections have some good parts and some bad parts, hopefully they'll all be good parts once I'm done re-editing. The Hiroshi past part, if you're talking about Chapter 62, is actually one of my better written things but if you don't want to read it I can't force you, it just might give you better understanding and depth of a character.

The Rukawa re-discovering to pass is something that I didn't convey as well as I liked, and I can see why you think it's a re-hash. It's not meant to be and there's a subtle difference, but I re-read it a few months back and I had the same feeling you did, that it was too similar to the manga. So once the re-edits are done it'll hopefully make more sense and sound more original.

The missed shots are actually very important and it's something I won't change even though I know the story is getting lengthy, like you mentioned. All basketball players do not shoot at a 100% clip and in the Slam Dunk manga there are a great deal of misses. If you know that someone is always going to make a shot there's no dramatic tension and the characters are not "human" anymore. I want to portray as realistic of a basketball scenario as I possibly can in any given scene, obviously with the Slam Dunk characters with their own strengths, weaknesses, and roles emphasized.

Jiece Reno – Oh shucks. You always make me shuffle in my seat in discomfort from your undeserved praise, but I truly appreciate it. I'm glad you like my story and it's readers like you that really keep me going and coming back to write. I re-read Slam Dunk again recently and it was as great as I remember it, but more importantly I hope that I can make the characters and their relationships even more true to Inoue's voice from here on out.

This indeed was a crazy March Madness! My bracket was absolutely in tatters by all the upsets. With the NBA lockout being here, I'm glad I was able to digest as much basketball as I did. It was nice to have some good college basketball to watch to scratch that itch, and it looks like we'll get to see more of it this year.

Speaking of which, when are you going to get back to writing again? I think we have pretty similar tastes in manga—I'm a huge Gantz junkie too.

And who knows how Shohoku will do. Not me. (Okay, maybe I do.)

hanamichi10 – Keep reading! Shohoku wins some games after that. Thanks for reviewing!

Nathan – Nice to hear from you again!

Yes, I tend to base a lot of my characters off certain basketball players and Daiei High is no exception. It is worth noting, so you don't get the wrong impression, that I rarely take all parts of any individual's game because then everyone in Slam Dunk would be blown out of the water—the true athleticism and talents of professional basketball players is really not even comparable. I usually take a certain skill that a player has, or a style, or a player profile, tone it down so there's some weaknesses, and then just tweak with the character and personality and the like so they're their own individual on the court and off.

So for instance as I've mentioned before, Hiromu is based off Dr. Julius Erving. But of course Dr. J is a HOFer and such a great player if I copied all parts of his game Shohoku would be blown out of the water. So I basically based Hiromu's ability to finish at the rim off Dr. J, and then scaled down other skills that Dr. J had. Then in addition to that I made Hiromu sort of a one-track idiot in that he only has that one skill and he can't seem to stay focused on anything else in the game, but his one skill is so strong that it warrants people to always pay attention to him on the court.

So to go down the list, Toshiya is based off the sort of weird, herky-jerky sort of playing style that Sleepy Floyd has—their offensive games are different, but the sort of "lull you to sleep" ability he has is the same and it's why the other players on Shohoku don't know how to handle him. Tsuchiya is a combination of a lot of catch-and-shoot players that move really well off the ball, but his original inspiration was Richard Hamilton. Matsumaru is based off of Jason Williams when he was playing under Hubie Brown in Memphis, cause I felt that was when his game was most under control and I wanted him to contrast with Miyagi, who still plays a bit more free-flowing and more "street." Ken's defensive prowess and rebounding is based off Samuel Dalembert. And Akihiro is based off Popeye Jones in his closing years in the NBA, when he still had outstanding build and athleticism but really started to suck at most things on the court unlike his younger years.

YLCourt – Ah, nice to hear from you again! How are you?

Thank you so much for always sticking around to read and review my work! Really appreciate it.

Yes, Shohoku has their own Big Two combo—they're definitely going to have to rely on them if they hope to keep winning!

Really happy to see that you're still around!

– Thank you so much! Hope I didn't disappoint!

Kavery12 – Thanks a lot for the review! Glad to hear you like Hiroshi!

Ka22hanaN – You can if you want as long as you give credit, BUT I consider the successor to my entire fanfiction to be something that one of my favorite authors, **Laziness Incarnate**, wrote. It's called **"Basketball for Dummies"** and it is probably one of the best fits for not just my story, but for Slam Dunk in general. Thank you for the review!

lulubelle101 – Thank you so much for the review!

To answer your questions:

1. The Rukawa-Haruko relationship will get more details later, including whether or not Rukawa listens to what she tells him to do.

2. Same as above.

3. They are, but no one aside from Hiroshi knows about it.

4. I hope they don't lose either.

5. We'll see how the relationship works out.

Again, thanks for spending the time to write!

Nigel – REALLY glad to hear from you, and SUPER glad to hear you're doing a lot better!

Keep updating me on how your team is doing, how coaching is going, everything! I'm excited for you and it's awesome that you're able to stay focused and lead a team like that! I'm sure you'll be able to get them to first division and teach them to not be afraid of getting down to the paint!

I don't have a Facebook unfortunately and I do not plan on getting one. But be glad to stay in touch with you through some other means.

pink-latent – Glad to see you like my story, and thank you so much for taking the time to review! You should definitely read the manga, it is FANTASTIC, and you also get to see the Sannoh match!

I actually started off a bit worried about writing the Daiei High match, but I'm lucky that people like it.

teardrops of a lonely girl – Wait no longer! Here it is! And thanks for the review!

* * *

**Chapter 63 – No Pain**

"They're going back to Sakuragi?"

Incredulous, Takeshi leaned back in his seat and glanced over his shoulder to see the reactions of his basketball seniors. Everyone that had played against Shohoku knew the sequence that Shohoku was planning to run—the setup and spacing of the players was a familiar one to the other Kanagawa players, old and new. It was an isolation play that had been designed for Akagi; in the current era, for his redhaired successor.

"It's a gamble," Fujima agreed. Despite his words, none of the graduated players seemed surprised that this was the route that Shohoku decided to take.

Expect the unexpected. That was the one thing that they had grown to recognize about their Kangawa rival.

Seeing that none of the others had additional input, Takeshi shrugged and turned his attention back to the game. It was just in time: Miyagi completed the entry pass and now it was just Sakuragi and Ken, isolated and on an island separate from all the other players.

With the ball now safely in his hands, Sakuragi's mind whirled with the possibilities of how he could get the ball into the basket. There weren't many that would work—at least, not against Ken.

"Don't hold the ball too long," Ayako whispered to herself, the Shohoku bench tense.

The importance of the possession was not lost on them. Momentum in basketball is amongst the most important things in the game: if Shohoku didn't score, Daiei High, like a snowball careening down a hill, could potentially become an unstoppable force.

Sakuragi felt Ken's weight leaning on him, preventing him from forcing his way in. He took a strong, low dribble to test this, his lower muscles flexing from the strain. Indeed Ken managed to keep him from getting closer to the basket, though even for the muscular Daiei High center, this was not an easy task.

Something out of the corner of Sakuragi's eye. By sheer instinct his hand moved and heaved the ball right back out to Miyagi— just in time as he felt the breeze from Hiromu's hand swipe at empty air, the Sparkplug having rotated over off Hiroshi to try and get a steal.

_Took too long that time,_ Sakuragi noted to himself. Without the ball, Sakuragi was able to lower his shoulder and power his way in. His monstrous strength was a surprise to Ken and Sakuragi was able to get a few precious inches closer to the basket as Ken was forced a step back.

Miyagi faked a pass across court to Hiroshi just so Hiromu would be forced to rotate back. With one quick move, the point guard instead fired another entry pass down low to Sakuragi.

"It's a repost!" Tsuchiya shouted from nearby, one eye on the play and another on keeping Rukawa in check. The Shohoku ace was watching the play just as intently, if not more so, than the others as he plotted the potential outcomes in his mind.

Sakuragi didn't put the ball on the floor immediately, unwilling to commit to a move.

_Turnaround jump shot!_ An image flashed through his mind of Rukawa doing something similar in practice. He would improve it of course, because that smelly fox can never really do anything right. Add a little Tensai flair. Yes. Yes, that could work—

"Don't do it dou ahou," Rukawa mumbled under his breath. Tsuchiya glanced over, having thought he had heard something from the All-Japan star but was instead just met with an icy, silent glare.

–no it wouldn't. Something deep in Sakuragi told him that the play was too dangerous. Last year (or even a game ago), that tact might not have existed—but Sakuragi, with his bundle of basketball instincts, grew with every possession and sensed that it would be impossible to score that way.

"He's thinking too much." Ayako began to shuffle nervously in her seat, no one certain what Sakuragi could possibly do to guarantee a score. "That's not like him."

"It's because he's different."

The others turned their attention to Kogure, who had spoken up.

"There is a big difference between this year's Sakuragi and the last. And that thing," Kogure raised his head as he stated the next words with complete confidence, "is responsibility."

"Responsible? Our Sakuragi?"

Kogure wasn't able to say anything more because at that exact moment Sakuragi made his move. Indeed Kogure would explain it to all of the other Shohoku members later, after Sakuragi's next play. They would listen to Kogure's words in quiet disbelief and who knows how many would believe his conclusions.

But the members of the Sakuragi Army standing behind the bench, and especially Youhei, knew exactly what Kogure meant. After all, they had all reached the same conclusion long before this game even started.

* * *

_before_

"You can't argue with the physics of basketball."

With a gentle thump, the basketball bounced off the side of the backboard and caught in the tangles of the net. Mitsui sauntered over to the bottom of the hoop and pointed at the square drawn just above the cylinder—specifically, to the square's edge, where he had just aimed to make his bank shot.

"If you hit the corners of the square, at the right angle with the right amount of force, the ball goes in. Period."

Mitsui shot Sakuragi an impatient glare, displeased he was being forced to explain this over and over and even more displeased he wasn't with the team playing the practice matches against Josei. The redhead was having none of it and instead started to pick at his ear, still ignoring the shooter's advice.

"Ball!" Mitsui shouted before making a quick cut back out from the underside of the basket. After catching a pinpoint pass from Youhei and with a quick turn of the heel, Mitsui lifted into the air and made another bank shot. He had not missed a single bank shot the entire day, as should be expected by a shooter of his caliber—however, Mitsui's pupil was far from impressed.

"I want to swish it," Sakuragi mumbled rebelliously, sticking his arms into his shorts.

If there was one thing that Sakuragi had yet to pick up on—not that he had been picking up on anything up to that point—it was that Mitsui had a certain vein on his forehead that started to pulsate when he got really angry.

It was practically oscillating at this point.

"Mitsui's not wrong," Youhei interjected, fortunately being someone that could pick up such subtleties. He quickly chased down the loose ball, his presence preventing a possible meltdown before it could occur. Instead of Mitsui stepping up to shoot, this time Sakuragi's best friend took a few cautious dribbles to where Shohoku's vice-captain stood. Mitsui stepped aside, both players' attention now on Youhei.

"You bank shots in all the time. When you're under the basket. Right?" Youhei readied himself and shot a jump shot, aimed at the same spot that Mitsui had pointed out earlier. The shot had a little too much force and instead of launching squarely into the net, clanked off the front of the rim.

"Heh, guess that wasn't that good."

"Hanamichi, I've been recording nothing but you standing around," Takamiya complained, the stout member of the Sakuragi Army snapping the camera shut as he spoke. "This is just a waste of time."

"Just shoot it the way he wants you to," Noma called from the sidelines. Okusu nodded in agreement, the other members of the Army clearly growing displeased with the amount of time it was taking for their leader to follow simple orders.

"I just need to swish it," Sakuragi yawned, glancing over at the gym's clock. "Lunch time yet?"

Mitsui stepped forward, ready to burst. "You piece of—"

"I have an idea."

Youhei stepped between the two, his timing perfect yet again. With a small smile, he motioned towards the hoop.

"Let's have a shooting contest, Hanamichi. You and me."

"Contest?" Sakuragi's attention was immediately perked. Youhei's smile didn't fade.

"Yeah. You shoot normally. I shoot bank shots. If I win you give this method a go. If I lose, I'll take you out for pachinko and we can just skip this practice."

"What?" Mitsui, already grumpy, shot a glare at the redhead's best friend. However, Youhei didn't tear his determined gaze away for a second, keeping his eyes locked on Sakuragi.

Sakuragi returned Youhei's smile, though it was one mixed with both arrogance and disbelief. "Are you sure, Youhei?"

"Out of ten," Youhei suggested. The other Sakuragi Army members, quickly catching on to what Youhei was intending to do, began to gather up the loose balls. "Five on each side. That should be enough. Let me shoot first, though."

Before Sakuragi could protest or otherwise back out, Youhei jogged quickly to where he had just missed a bank shot earlier on the right side of the court. Without a word, Noma made a chest pass to Youhei.

In one deft, quick motion, Youhei leapt into the air and made a perfect bank shot. 1/1.

Sakuragi's eyes widened, shocked to see his best friend not only make the shot, but look adept at doing it. Even Mitsui couldn't hide his surprise as Youhei caught another pass and lifted into the air.

"_**Catch, jump, and shoot. Rhythm is key."**_

The saying was burned into Youhei's memory as he did exactly that, making yet another bank shot. A miss (not enough arc, Mitsui thought to himself). But then, another swish.

Another.

4/5.

"What?" Sakuragi sputtered, thoroughly at a loss for any other words. Youhei was so focused that he didn't even turn to see the priceless expression on the redhead's face, instead jogging to the left side of the court so he could keep shooting.

Youhei finished 7/10 and left a stunned Sakuragi and Mitsui in his wake.

"Your turn, Hanamichi." Youhei offered his friend a smile, confident.

"Y-yeah," Sakuragi could only stammer a response, still shocked. Even after Noma bounced a ball into his hands, Sakuragi looked hesitant as he stepped up to the spot Youhei had been just moments earlier.

Mitsui didn't miss the change in the redhead's demeanor.

Pressure. Of course. No way could Sakuragi lose—if he did, it would have been equivalent to if Rukawa had lost to Hiroshi during recruitment. An ace cannot lose.

After a few moments of silence, Sakuragi seemed to get his bearings and took his first shot. It was a miss.

Mitsui slid over to Youhei as Sakuragi prepared to take his next shot.

"How did you do that?"

Youhei wiped some sweat from his brow, unable to hide a smirk. "I used to shoot around with Hanamichi in the gym when he got started with basketball. I also was here last year for Hanamichi's training with the old man. We all learned something from it. When Hanamichi was undergoing rehab, the rest of the guys and me would play basketball sometimes. It really is kind of fun. We're not any good, though."

Mitsui chuckled, still somewhat in disbelief at what he had just witnessed. "But you just made a bunch of bank shots."

"I felt that it was going to work when I took that test shot. I shoot like shit but the way that ball bounced…"

He trailed off, the two focused on Sakuragi's shooting. The redhead had just finished the right side, shooting 3/5 to start.

"Hey."

"Yeah?"

"Appreciate it."

"Yeah," Youhei repeated curtly, the two falling silent again. Sakuragi had missed his first shot on the left side and Mitsui, with his trained eyes, could tell that the redhead's muscles were stiffening up from the mental pressure. If he didn't go perfect from here on out, he would lose.

"You doing okay over there?" Mitsui called, his voice full of mockery.

Sakuragi didn't even give a response to the taunt. This drew a smile from Mitsui's face, the older player pleased to see such focus.

And when Sakuragi lifted into his air for his next shot, Mitsui knew it was over.

* * *

"Couldn't have lost."

"You lost."

"No."

"Hanamichi, just give it up."

"Didn't lose."

"Just reflect on what you did wrong."

"Didn't lose."

"Okay. Well, let's all go to lunch and leave the loser behind."

"I said I didn't lose!" Sakuragi roared, chasing after Noma as the other members of the Sakuragi Army snickered from the baseline.

Mitsui was quick to put a stop to the antics, placing himself right in the middle of Sakruagi's warpath. The redhead froze, finally seeing the serious intent on his senior's face.

"You still don't get it. Even after all this time. Even after all you said."

"What do you want, Micchi?" Sakuragi grumbled, upset. Mitsui's eyes blazed in fury.

"Is everything you told Anzai-sensei a lie?"

Whatever rebelliousness remained quickly died out after that question.

"Look at you, Sakuragi. It's one thing to lose to me. But for a starter to lose against someone that's not even on the team…"

"I got it," Sakuragi mumbled, clearly embarrassed. Mitsui, however, would have none of it.

"No you don't. You know why?"

Silence.

"You know why Rukawa is still better than you?"

Sakuragi's full attention was now on Mitsui.

"What did Anzai-sensei say to you?"

"…"

"Say it."

"Before you can—"

"Louder."

"'**Before you can hope to beat Rukawa-kun, you must first surpass Akagi.'"**

Mitsui nodded, pleased that Sakuragi was finally getting it.

"If you want to become the best, you have to admit when you lost. And then," Mitsui brought a clenched fist up between the two, "you get better."

Mitsui started to pace as he continued to lecture his pupil, his earlier irritation dying down.

"I'm sure you know this. But Rukawa had All-Japan training last year. He'll probably be invited again this year. Want to know how that team did?

"What?"

Mitsui sighed, realizing that Sakuragi didn't know anything concrete about the All-Japan training.

"Players are selected by prefecture to represent the All-Japan team. You know what that means, don't you?"

"Huh."

"Rukawa is nationally recognized as one of the top players in high school basketball. You're a flea," Mitsui held up his forefinger and thumb, "about this big. That everyone has forgotten.

"And this nationally-recognized Rukawa, with the All-Japan high school team—they lost. They went 1-3 out of four exhibition games. That includes one game against an American team where they got blown out."

"Lost? That fox?" Sakuragi snorted, not surprised. "He's an amateur that—"

"And what does that make you?"

The two stared at one another, the challenge hanging in the air.

"Anyway. That was before the Winter Cup," Mitsui continued, bouncing a ball over to Sakuragi. "Rukawa doesn't make the same mistakes. It irritates me to say it, but he's playing his best basketball right now. Due in no small part to those losses.

"You want to get better, Sakuragi? Don't let winning get to you. And when you lose, let it motivate you. If things always go too well and you don't have the right attitude… you lose sight of how to get better."

_**Don't give up until the end.**_

Mitsui found himself leveling a stare at the boisterous redhead. For some reason, Anzai's words filled the senior's head. Of his time away from basketball. Of the fights with his teammates. Of setbacks, of losses, of wasting time and of quitting only because he couldn't motivate himself.

Of giving it all up because he lost sight of what mattered most.

Anzai knew how to select the right mentors, it seemed.

"So you want to learn that bank shot? Or we done for today?"

Instead of answering with words, Sakuragi turned on his heel and made his way to the spot that Youhei had taken his first shot. Mitsui followed, already doling out instructions, their brief heart-to-heart just as quickly forgotten.

On the sidelines, Youhei fiddled with one of the spare basketballs, slapping it between his hands, feeling its contours.

Strange, how this orange sphere had changed Sakuragi. Had changed them all. What would their lives have been, without this sport?

"Micchi, you have this vein that—"

"IT'S BECAUSE YOU DON'T LISTEN, YOU IDIOT!"

Youhei couldn't help but laugh at their banter. And he knew it would all be fine, in the end.

Sakuragi always rose to any challenge before him because of his competitive nature. The redhead's best friend had seen, time and time again, with an almost bullheaded doggedness, that Sakuragi would not relent at any task that he felt was worth fighting for. It was one trait that had brought the two together and ultimately what connected Sakuragi to the sport he now loved so much.

Sakuragi knew the crushing weight of responsibility of basketball— at least, whatever he imposed upon himself last year. But those responsibilities were never genuine for one simple reason:

He was a rookie.

Youhei would never know what Rukawa said to Sakuragi after the team's draining loss to Kainan, but the Shohoku ace, as usual, had been completely right. Until the Sannoh game, no one put their faith in Sakuragi. Whatever positive contributions that Sakuragi had was not taken into account before the team went into battle. The redhead had merely exceeded all that people thought he could possibly accomplish. He had willed himself into a role on the team, one that soon became an indispensable one.

And this year, due to sheer need, his role was growing. Expanding. That the ball would wind up in Sakuragi hands at critical moments was a testament to that one simple fact: Shohoku now had expectations of the fiery redhead. What had before been "don't turn the ball over and we'll be happy" had now become "put us on your back and win."

The spotlight was on him now. And Youhei knew that was exactly where his best friend would thrive.

* * *

_the game_

No one could explain how Sakuragi simply _knew _what he had to do in a game. Many would suspect even Sakuragi himself didn't know why he did half the things he does. Few scouts (outside of the Shohoku players, who recognized that Sakuragi was more than he seemed) would say that he possessed any tangible basketball intelligence.

But what else _could_ it be called?

What could they call the redhead adjusting to his opponent, of turning to face up Ken, staring into his opponent's eyes, knowing that brute strength was no longer the answer?

What could they call that brave charge straight at a wall of muscle and spiked hair, forcing the defense to adjust to him and not the other way around?

What could they call that brilliant spin move, of angling his body so that it was now shielding the ball?

Whatever it was, it could certainly be called an amazing play.

Sakuragi went into the air, eyes narrowed in focus, mouth agape, finding that sliver of light between Ken's fingers that would let him see his target. One forearm pressed against Ken's chest, keeping Ken from disrupting his shot. The other arm pushing the ball up, away from any threatening hands and towards the goal.

The shot hit the corner of the square, at the right angle with just the right amount of force.

The scores now sat at 64-63, with 5:12 minutes remaining.

"YEAH! Fantastic move, Hanamichi!" the Shohoku bench celebrated, the Sakuragi Army being the most boisterous this time around.

"Sakuragi-kun did it! I knew he could!" Haruko said in an excited rush, grabbing Ayako in a half-hug because she was sitting closest to her.

"A spinning bank shot?" Ayako managed in disbelief, stunned at the finesse she had witnessed from the redhead. Anzai was already on his feet, one chubby arm pumped towards the rafters. It was as if he had waited for this moment, all along.

Even the Kanagawa group in the stands could only sit with jaws slackened, unable to believe that Sakuragi was once again acting like a magician—pulling off basketball moves that no would suspect he could do.

"This is the guy that was playing us just a month ago?" Takeshi said skeptically, an eyebrow raised.

"His growth is really something," Maki smiled in agreement, the other players only able to shake their heads in disbelief.

There were no celebrations on the court. The Shohoku players were already backpedaling onto defense, ready for Daiei High's counterattack. However, the move that Sakuragi had pulled off was not something any of them could dismiss.

_He can be unstoppable_, Miyagi realized involuntarily, if only for the briefest of moments. The move that Sakuragi had pulled off was supremely athletic, akin to what a guard would do.

But not only had Sakuragi done the move, he had done it seamlessly. A quickness of a smaller player, yet all the power befitting someone of his taller stature. Few were blessed with such talents.

What Sakuragi was not blessed with, however, was humility.

"Commoner's shot II," Sakuragi grinned, already beginning to gloat as he gave Ken a good shoulder to the chest as they fought for position. "Why do you think they call me Tensai back at Kanagawa?"

"Dou ahou," Rukawa mumbled, just loud enough.

"Shut your face, fox!" Sakuragi roared back, his ears strangely attuned to picking up even the slightest insult from his rival's mouth.

"Focus!" Miyagi ordered the other players, his gaze never tearing from Matsumaru. The triangle defense was again in place, with Miyagi keeping an eye on all potential developments.

_Tsuchiya. They're going to go to him. You always go to the ace_, Miyagi thought. As predicted, Matsumaru shot a pass over to Tsuchiya. It was not one of the better positions the Daiei High's ace had been in however, for this time he was being marked tightly by Rukawa.

Tsuchiya squared up, making a quick pump fake to try and get Rukawa out of position. Rukawa didn't fall for it, instead staying firmly planted. Seeing that Rukawa wasn't planning to budge, Tsuchiya made a sharp cut to the basket, trying to lose his opponent. Rukawa stayed close, not giving Tsuchiya an inch of space. Tsuchiya pulled to an abrupt stop before whipping a behind the back pass to Toshiya, who had managed to lose Mitsui yet again.

Except this time, Miyagi picked off the pass.

"Nice steal!" the Shohoku bench shouted. Miyagi quickly protected the ball from the Daiei High players, not immediately committing to a dribble. As the others cleared out, Miyagi shot Rukawa a smirk.

"You noticed it too?"

Rukawa didn't answer, instead jogging off. Miyagi knew that was as sure an agreement as any.

It would only be a matter of time before everyone else picked up on it. Miyagi knew there were precious few possessions before Daiei High would adjust again.

_We have to try and get a solid lead before then._ Miyagi raised three fingers to the air, making sure the others could see the play they were about to run.

Matsumaru shuffled over to Miyagi, surprising the Shohoku captain with the sudden display of aggressive defense. But that feeling quickly dissipated—after all, no one on that court was oblivious to the changing momentum of the game.

"We're not in middle school anymore," Miyagi grinned, turning his back on Matsumaru and the other players so he could keep his body between the dribble. In the meantime, he kept a watchful eye over his shoulder so he wouldn't miss an opportunity to pass. "Not that you could really beat me then, anyway."

"Things change," Matsumaru said evenly. And with that, he made a blindingly fast move towards the ball—a reach-in so fast that almost any other point guard might have had the ball stolen. It must have been a move that Matsumaru had worked hard to perfect for these moments, to be able to do it so fluidly; Miyagi had never seen the move from his friend before.

Except Miyagi was not just any other point guard.

With one beautiful dribble, Miyagi bounced the ball between his legs. In the same movement he pivoted in a half circle, just as the ball began its upward descent. The ball made no contact with his body during the entire sequence—and with one simple dribble, Miyagi had not only lost Matsumaru, but was now again facing towards his own basket. It was a difficult maneuver for many guards; yet Miyagi made it look easy, practiced.

"Some things don't." Miyagi left those words behind as he blazed forward, the Daiei High defense now realizing that they had to react to the botched defensive play.

"Got ya!" Miyagi shouted just before the other players collapsed on him. One second later and a lightning-quick bullet pass found its way to another Shohoku player who was taking advantage of the shift in defensive focus.

"It's Rukawa!" Tsuchiya yelled to the others, a step behind the Shohoku ace. With the defense in disarray, Ken was forced to abandon Sakuragi and the Daiei High players again converged on the Shohoku ace in a triple team.

Rukawa paid it no heed and lifted into the air, as if he was about to take the shot. At the last possible moment, with the other defenders now following him skyward, Rukawa turned just enough in mid-air so he could see his true target.

The pass to the now-open Mitsui could not have been more precise—

"Sorry to disappoint," Mitsui said sardonically, a smirk on his face as he brought the ball up for the shot.

"But it's me."

–unless you compared it to the three-pointer splashing through the bottom of the net with a hushed swish.

66-64. Shohoku's lead.

As the gym again erupted into noise, it was evident that the Shohoku supporters in the crowd were coming back: the expanded Rukawa Brigade began to chant praises and love confessions for their favorite player with renewed force.

"What took you bastards so long to get Mit-chan the ball?" Nori fumed. Despite his angry words he was quick to wave his "Man of Fire" flag with fervent enthusiasm, unmindful that this action blocked the view of other spectators around him.

"Ordering a play that involves three pointers against a 3-2 zone," Ayako sighed, though only partly out of frustration. The Shohoku benchwarmers were again on their feet around her, with Haruko now being one of their most enthusiastic supporters. "Only Ryota would do something like that."

"Of course," Kogure smiled, not surprised in the least. "Those guys would never back down from any challenge, right?"

Kogure's words were to be tested on the very next play: the Shohoku players immediately recognized that Daiei High was going back to a play that had gotten them points earlier against the triangle defense, with Hiromu bringing the ball upcourt.

"Same plan!" Miyagi called, just so that Rukawa knew that he would come help to double-team as soon as Tsuchiya touched the ball. Mitsui, on the other side of the court, was on high-alert with regards to Toshiya—the other part of Daiei High's Big Two had gotten past him far too easily for his pride to handle.

However in a complete surprise maneuver, neither of the Big Two would touch the ball: Hiromu chose to race straight for the basket, catching Miyagi completely off guard. As Miyagi turned to give chase, it became immediately clear what Hiromu was intending.

…_they're trying to foul Hiroshi out! _

Despite Hiromu's bull-rush into the paint, Hiroshi's expression was unusually calm. The reason for this calm was not clear until a warning shout from Toshiya pierced the air, just as Hiromu jumped and Hiroshi still made no move towards his opponent.

"Take the shot Hiromu! The rookie read the play!"

Too late.

Hiroshi's deceptively long arm darted out, knocking aside the pass that had been intended for Tsuchiya. The Daiei High captain had gotten free from Rukawa during the confusion, just long enough for what would have been an easy lay-in. Now that the play was interrupted, Tsuchiya was forced to veer back out of the paint, with Rukawa just a step behind.

The entire sequence had been a repeat of an earlier play, but this time disguised as a reckless drive by Hiromu. Hiroshi, who was deeply invested in the game, had not been fooled by the apparent aggressiveness of the attack. Daiei High had no history of making an early offensive play, evidenced by their methodical half-court offense throughout the game. The power forward had absorbed the offensive tendencies of the opposing team and made a gut decision based off that alone: fortunately, it had paid off.

Miyagi was too far away to secure the loose ball and instead it was Matsumaru who scooped up the near-steal.

"Rukawa! Close out the three!" Miyagi shouted in alarm, afraid that the now-open Matsumaru would take the shot. Rukawa did not respond, instead continuing to stay close to Tsuchiya.

"Damnit, I said—!" Miyagi tripped over his feet as he tried to make it in time to interrupt the shot, his brain moving faster than his own body could handle. Though Miyagi was able to catch himself he looked up with dread, expecting to see a three-pointer in mid-air.

But Matsumaru had made no move to shoot.

Miyagi's panic died down as he remembered the very words he himself had told the others earlier in the game:

**"_Don't bite on Daisuke's fakes, his jumper is worse than mine."_**

"Good decision Rukawa," Miyagi mumbled under his breath, gathering himself and moving back to his position at the free-throw line. All the Shohoku players were aware of the significance of Hiroshi interrupting the pass: Daiei High now had to make something out of the broken play, with only a few seconds left before the shot clock ran out.

"Can't be," Toshiya mumbled to himself, Mitsui close enough to pick up the words. After a brief coughing fit, Toshiya focused his attention behind his defender. Mitsui followed Toshiya's gaze with a quick glance out of the corner of his eye, not willing to be too distracted by the other vice-captain's weird mannerisms. Mitsui was surprised to see that Toshiya was actually studying Hiroshi, who had moved right back to his zone in the triangle defense.

"Hate to admit it. But that rookie you guys got over there is dangerous."

_Speak for yourselves,_ Mitsui thought, having also seen that Sakuragi was straining with effort to keep Ken out of the paint.

With the shot clock ticking down, Matsumaru made a drive for the basket. But with Miyagi now ready for the attack, Matsumaru was unable to gain much distance. Instead he shot a dangerous lob upwards, trusting that Ken would be able to catch the awkward pass.

Sakuragi tried to scrabble forward, seeing that it could potentially be an easy steal. Unfortunately Ken already had position and was thus able to muscle the redhead out of the way, securing the ball before any of the other Shohoku players could rotate over.

"Here!"

Tsuchiya raced for Ken, one arm stretched just out of range of Rukawa. Ken tossed the ball over and in one smooth movement, his captain caught the ball and lifted into the air for the shot.

Rukawa's hand filled Tsuchiya's vision, throwing the jump shot off just enough to get a miss. Mitsui snagged the long rebound and the Shohoku supporters heaved a sigh of relief, the team managing to keep their lead.

A dull smack rang through the air, interrupting the brief moment of reprieve.

Mitsui stared in shock as Toshiya, with a frightening sense of stealth and timing, knocked the ball clean out of his hands. Shohoku's defense, which was now completely out of position, scrambled to get back into place as Toshiya scooped the loose ball up and charged straight for the basket.

In his way stood only Hiroshi.

Miyagi felt a cold shiver down his spine as he instantly recognized what Toshiya was aiming to do.

_They didn't give up—_

"Foul him!" Miyagi shouted at Mitsui, who had recovered and was trying to catch up. Miyagi took his own advice and blazed forward, aiming to get a reach-in foul before it was too late.

Toshiya's steps slowed. The ball snaked out and upwards, as if on a string. Hiroshi found himself unable to resist, his body abruptly tensing, preparing to follow it into the air.

Hiroshi managed to catch himself at the very last moment—Toshiya had only shown the ball. The move had simply been so convincing as to nearly fool him into getting faked out.

With a deft turn, Toshiya spun back and lifted into the air, preparing for the fadeaway. Hiroshi advanced, ready to interrupt the shot at all costs.

Except Toshiya had not lifted into the air at all.

"What the—"

Now out of position, Hiroshi could do nothing as Toshiya instead leaned forward and forced body contact, heaving the ball up at the rim. Hiroshi and Toshiya were both knocked back, with Hiroshi being the one to lose his balance as he fell onto his rear.

The referee whistle shrieked just as Miyagi zipped past the duo, unable to stop his run. He hopped right over Hiroshi before shuffling to a stop. Everyone waited in anticipation for the call as the referee raised his hands towards the rafters.

"Shooting foul, #13!"

Whatever gathering momentum Shohoku had ground to an instant halt.

The Daiei High supporters roared. The Shohoku bench fell silent.

And Miyagi hung his head, deflated.

"Shit."

The other Shohoku players looked at a loss for words. Sakuragi was the first to approach Hiroshi, who was still sitting on the floor, head down.

"Good try Hiro," Sakuragi comforted, giving the freshman a clap on the shoulder. "This Tensai fouled out of a lot of games before. But don't worry. We'll win for sure."

Hiroshi didn't respond. Sakuragi nudged the freshman again, trying to coax him up.

On the sidelines, Kogure could only shake his head in disappointment.

"This is a travesty… to go out like this…"

"It was a tough decision," Ayako said in a shaky voice, as if trying to convince herself. The emotional highs of the game were starting to get to even her. "I… I don't know how I would have called that foul."

While Ayako may not have had a clear opinion, Mitsui certainly did—just nearby, he was giving the referee an earful, ignoring the prospect of receiving a technical as he stood up for his teammate.

"Oi. Hiro. You okay?" Sakuragi shook Hiroshi's shoulder, trying to elicit a response.

"…it."

"What?"

Hiroshi glanced up, eyes full of emotion. His nearby teammates all recoiled, surprised.

It was an emotion none of the other Shohoku players had seen from him.

It was not sadness. It was not disappointment.

It was anger.

"Damnit."

Toshiya, who had been walking away, glanced over his shoulder to meet Hiroshi's furious gaze. Hiroshi's hands instinctively balled into fists.

"Damnit!" Hiroshi bellowed in anguish, the earlier strain on his throat causing his voice to clip and crack when he raised his voice. "Damnit! I can't believe I fell for that! It was so obvious! How is that even possible?"

Hiroshi tried to pick himself up but couldn't, his body giving out as all the fatigue he had been carrying for the second half manifested itself. Sakuragi grabbed him before the freshman fell back and hurt himself. Hiroshi, however, didn't seem to notice as he continued his tirade.

"You faked me out all game! This entire game! I should have known you weren't going to shoot! It was so obvious what you were trying to do!"

Mitsui had stopped his argument with the referee and was staring wide-eyed at his teammate. But before Hiroshi could say anything more, Sakuragi grabbed him in a headlock and snuffed out his next words.

Toshiya's coughing fit filled the abrupt silence, everyone's attention now on the focus of Hiroshi's ire.

"Rookie mistake," Toshiya rasped emotionlessly, turning away from his fallen opponent. "Warned you earlier in the game, didn't I?"

"Damnit…" Hiroshi gritted his teeth, unable to say anything more. Toshiya stumbled off, leaving the Shohoku players to gather themselves.

"Nice move," Tsuchiya complimented his vice-captain once Toshiya was in earshot. Toshiya, however, did not look particularly pleased.

"He actually got me."

"What?"

Toshiya shuffled away, heading for the free-throw line and refusing to say anything more. It didn't sit well with him, that the referee had called it in his favor. Toshiya had known full well that was a borderline call at best and was closer to a no-call—it wasn't really a foul, what Hiroshi did.

But that was where experience mattered. He knew the referees would call it, only because they had called a foul in a similar scenario early on.

The things they had to do to win. Too bad. It had actually been getting fun, this game.

"Dangerous rookie, that one was," Toshiya again mumbled to himself as Shohoku regrouped, Kakuta now subbing in while Sakuragi carried the exhausted Hiroshi to the bench.

Toshiya briefly considered what he would have done if there had been no referees. He coughed, finding himself unsure of the answer.

Almost beaten by a rookie. Tsuchiya, one of the best players Toshiya knew, still struggling against Shohoku's ace. And who knew how much longer Ken would be able to keep the redhead in check? The spin move had not been something Toshiya had ever expected.

It wasn't that they had underestimated Shohoku. It was that Shohoku had not only changed drastically between their last games, but every one of their players was getting better as each minute passed by.

Toshiya glanced at the clock. 3:55 remaining.

He could only hope that Shohoku didn't have much left.


	65. Chapter 64

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Author's Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating this wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Reviews:**

Dorawarrior – Yeah, I actually really dislike it that people don't appreciate how hard it is to play defense. Glad to see you do! It's super tough because the offensive players, especially in the NBA, get the benefit of the doubt on almost everything.

How dare anyone disrespect your bank shot? Bank it over them! Bank it I say!

That basketball line is something I have personally wondered not just about myself but every other player that plays the game. Sports are weird that way.

I'm glad to see someone else appreciate the under-appreciated aspects of the game! Thank you so much for reviewing!

Hannah Shikari – Huzzah! Thanks for coming back to read the fic.!

The technical side of basketball is challenging for recreational players in particular. There's a lot of things that don't need to be understood if you're playing for fun, but if you want to appreciate a basketball game you see on television for instance, knowing the technical stuff gives the game more depth. But basketball is one of the most entertaining sports even without technical knowledge because the overall goal of the game is very easy to understand, so don't worry about not getting the technical stuff. It's definitely not because you lack brain power—you have mounds and mounds of it! I can sense it all!

I'm glad to hear that you play basketball! And I hope that you can play some more, even if it's just for fun.

I'm very pleased to hear how you interpret the characters, because I do make it a point to make every one of them grow and change as the story goes on. I think it would be irresponsible of me to not make the characters live and breathe and to treat them as if I had designed them all myself, because Inoue would do the same thing.

Yes, the random flashback things happen a lot not just in the manga but in my fic. as well. I always think Inoue does it in a way that is actually quite logical when you re-read the manga, mainly because I think he had a lot more of the stories planned out. So when you first read it, it feels random, but as you read it over and over you realize he did a really good job planning things out.

And you are an awesome reviewer! I'm very happy to have a fantastic reader such as yourself. And to answer your final question, I have a Y chromosome.

Laziness Incarnate – Nothing escapes your watchful eyes. NOTHING I SAY.

As soon as I saw your review I went back and changed it, wincing the entire while. I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote that, because when I wrote it and read it over it made total sense to me. Then after I posted it and you brought it to my attention, I was like "who wrote this piece of unintelligible junk?" Thank you so much for pointing that out.

I've been getting worried as to what point I build up too much tension, write the bestest chapter I ever could, and eventually every chapter is going to suck thereafter. Glad to say I haven't felt like I hit it yet and I'm too stubborn to not push my writing limits, but I think Inoue was probably thinking that while he wrote the Sannoh match and eventually called it quits. I'm hoping my mileage is a bit longer, especially because I want to finish writing what I have planned for the fic.—but if the quality starts to seriously suck and I start forcing myself then we'll see.

Again, thank you so much for still reading, I'm super honored and happy when I see your reviews. I start giggling and blubbering in my seat when I see your name show up.

KoiGirlPGSM – Yay! Thank you for always reviewing!

Aznpikachu215 – Thank you for the review! Sakuragi can definitely play multiple positions, but on this team he doesn't really have a choice but to play the 5. I think Sakuragi can play 3-5 all well, with his natural position being the 4/5 because that's how Inoue designed him. He would suck as a point guard, obviously!

Raffiki – All the chapters in under a week? You are one crazy person. I shudder at the thought of going back and re-reading all my stuff, though I've been doing it very slowly through my re-edits of the older, crappier chapters.

I am nothing but pleased to hear when another baller enjoys my story. Slam Dunk's primary purpose is to share the love of basketball and why it's such a great game, and when someone else compliments the games and the basketball itself I know I've done what Inoue wanted. So thank you so much for saying that, and thank you for playing basketball!

I secretly want to write as a profession but I know I'd never really make it. There are some authors out there, even on FF, that just blow my mind. I try to write better and improve myself though, and as I'm sure you noticed how my earlier chapters compare to my chapters now is like night and day. I hope that by the end of this fic. I'll still be writing high quality stuff.

Thank you so much for a heartfelt review. I'm deeply thankful to have readers like yourself.

Maverickf14 – Yeah, it's unbelievable how much time has passed since I started this. I can only hope that I finish everything in a more timely manner, I keep having long layoffs between chapters. I'll do everything I can to finish the story. Thank you for reviewing!

Martin F – Aw, I'm flattered. Thank you for reviewing! Can't wait for you to get caught up, though once you are you'll have to suffer like all my other great readers with my slow updates.

Nigel – Thanks for reviewing and glad to hear about your team! Euro basketball is different and in my opinion it's super tough! You guys better kick butt, Slam Dunk style! Let me know how you guys have been doing!

Nathan – CONGRATS YOU ARE MY 600TH REVIEW! Oh goodness, how time flies! You know what you get for your troubles? You get an imaginary pat on the back! Ha! Take that! I bet that felt just dandy, didn't it?

I'm very interested to hear your own picks and thoughts about this lockout shortened season. As for mine, as a Rockets fan I'm still rooting for us to make the playoffs and I think we have a decent young core to do it—while surprising people in the process, if given the chance. A lot of people are going to be sleeping on us but the West is rightfully tough so we'll have to see. I think the Lakers are obviously worse this year because of Mike Brown and how the drama is over there, but they're probably going to pull it together and squeak into the playoffs besides. I can never really predicts the Finals or the winners, but I do think that Clippers are going to make some noise this year and in the east it'll be the 76ers, which has a surprisingly balanced squad. A lot of it is going to come down to team depth because of the amount of back-to-backs.

Savitz – Thanks for the review! And whoa, thanks a lot for drawing Hiroshi! You're an awesome artist! Can't believe you don't draw more…

My thoughts on it are that Hiroshi is a bit stockier than I envision him to be. His body type is thinner—I mentioned in my introduction chapter of him that his character model is based off George Gervin. If you see some pictures of George Gervin in his younger years, that will be closer to what I think he looks like—he has definable muscles and such, but everything about him is a bit lankier and thinner. And one more thing—this will be up to you, whether you want to draw Hiroshi with his game face or his normal look. In a game I think of him as having a more analytical, focused eye expression when he's taking things seriously. The way you drew him would be more in a casual setting, as his eyes are visibly relaxed. Other than that, everything else looks outstanding! I read your comments on the DA about your interpretation of why Hiroshi looks the way he does and I agree with your thoughts. I really look forward to seeing more of your drawings; I'm very touched to think that this fiction has inspired others. Keep me updated!

YLCourt – Great to hear from you again! How have you been?

Would love to have Inoue recognize my work someday… but it would never happen. I'm happy enough to have other basketball and Slam Dunk lovers read and appreciate this story.

Thank you for your compliments, as always. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 64 – Star Power**

The game wasn't going at all like Tsuchiya expected it to.

The Daiei High captain stared off into the stands, lost in thought. Due to the commotion of Hiroshi's blow-up the other Shohoku players were slow to get back onto the court and Toshiya could only patiently remain at the free-throw line, waiting for the referee to hand the ball off.

Tsuchiya was not a player of imagination. It was not to say that he wasn't creative on the court if he needed to be—it was simply that he couldn't predict certain scenarios ever occurring. He needed full control of a situation to perform at his best. It was why he had made the team his, structured it to revolve around him. So he would know where every team member was on the court, and they would know where he was. It was a great weakness of his, one that he recognized. Toshiya was always there to cover up for him in that regard, when things didn't work out.

But as Toshiya continued to mill about, antsy for the ball, his shoulders stooped just a bit lower than usual, Tsuchiya knew one thing for certain: even his vice-captain wasn't prepared for the game they were playing.

That worried him the most. Things he couldn't control.

Unlike his peers, Tsuchiya had become the captain of his team in his second year. It had been a move that shocked not only the other players, but also Tsuchiya.

"Why, senpai?" he had asked his previous captain when the announcement was made in front of the entire basketball team, knowing that the same thought rested in everyone else's minds. Though Tsuchiya was getting most of the minutes at his position and sometimes finishing games, more often than even the third year starter that played ahead of him, he was still relegated to coming off the bench. And this was because seniority was most important. There was an order to these things—no matter how good he was, he was still a pup: just finishing up his first year with the club. He wasn't ready.

The captain had given him a puzzled look, as if the question was unnecessary.

"You have the right personality for it."

Maybe he did. Maybe his old captain had seen something in him—how demanding he was of his teammates, how mad he would get when a play broke down because someone wasn't where they should be on the court. All he knew was that most people would have quit in his position because he suffered through it all: the bullying by his seniors after he was made captain ahead of them, having to learn everything on the fly, the sickening pressure of pushing the team to the Nationals. If not for his stubborn competitiveness to overcome that suffering and stand triumphant at the end of it all, he might have.

They had made the Nationals in that tumultuous second year. He had proven, both to himself and the upper-classmen, that he belonged.

But the display put on by Sannoh and Shohoku—or more specifically, Sawakita and Rukawa—had been more than enough to give him pause.

"I can't ever beat them one-on-one," Tsuchiya had confessed to Toshiya after the game. Toshiya had been his only real confidant during the second year—if Tsuchiya had not practically been forced to assign one of the third years to be his vice-captain, Toshiya would certainly have had the position.

Sannoh had been above and beyond what Tsuchiya had expected and had won his respect, yet he felt that they were not as unbeatable as everyone claimed them to be. Sawakita, however, had been another matter entirely.

"That's why we have five players on the court," Toshiya had said before he went into another coughing fit, ending the conversation.

But we don't have the_ right_ five players, Tsuchiya had wanted to say.

He could forget it when he was out on the hardwood and the ball was in his hands, but this was not how Tsuchiya wanted the team to be shaped. Tsuchiya was a sculptor and the team was his clay, ready to be molded into something great. But what if the sculptor didn't want to use the clay he had? Could he ever finish the piece in his mind?

Daiei High had lost in the Round of Eight that year. It had been a surprise to a lot of the media that Daiei High had even made it that far, but Tsuchiya knew better. Their results were what he expected of the team's skill level. He had maximized what they had. It had been a lost cause from the start as soon as he saw the brackets, a jaded perspective he had not shared with anyone. There was probably a chance in there somewhere to make the Round of Four, but luck was not on their side.

So when players, fresh and old, had lined up in front of him for the new basketball season, he couldn't help but turn to his new vice-captain Toshiya with a smile on his face: this year would be the year. Making the Finals was very possible. Maybe even the championship, matchups be damned.

Everything was going according to his pace, and by extension, Daiei High's pace. After all it seemed everyone this year finally knew: Tsuchiya _was_ Daiei High. And this Daiei High team was everything to Tsuchiya. He had his hand in everything—the offense, the plays. Designed them so that everyone would elevate his game just as he would elevate theirs. The only way for him to overcome players like those he had seen at last year's Inter-Highs was to draw on everyone's strength.

But this game with Shohoku was changing everything.

Shohoku was not a normal basketball club. Every single team in the Nationals that had done their homework knew it. Every person that had been at last year's Sannoh game knew it. When Tsuchiya had seen the D rank for Shohoku coming into the Nationals, he had nonchalantly tossed the magazine into the trash. Whoever the scouts or editors were for that magazine had not seen what happened last summer.

Though Shohoku had not even qualified for the Winter Cup, no one in their right mind would count Shohoku out of any game.

Not with Rukawa on that team.

When the news came that Shohoku was their matchup—and that they had bested Sannoh, of all teams, to become their opponent— the rest of Daiei High had fallen into disarray. A mixture of shock, confusion... and relief. Shohoku couldn't be as scary as the legendary Sannoh, right?

"_That's right. We'll win,"_ Tsuchiya had promised his team. Shohoku would be tough, no doubt, but he thought he knew what to expect from their opponent. So he gave a single caveat_: "as long as things go our way."_

But nothing had gone like he had expected it to.

Akihiro being forced off the court during a critical stretch. An unexpected rookie on Shohoku that had changed the fabric of the game. The ever-evolving Sakuragi becoming a greater threat as each second passed. And Rukawa, defying all odds and still playing an astoundingly high level of basketball in spite of his fatigue.

That troublesome rookie was off the court now. Hiromu was already requesting Akihiro to sub in at the next dead ball to crush the rookie's substitute. Rukawa was under the basket, gasping for breath, struggling to maintain his defense against Tsuchiya.

The game should be over now.

But…

"Leave it to me!"

A determined shout from Shohoku's bench. A fiery redhead stepping back onto the court, eyes wild with energy.

"This Tensai will guarantee the win!"

But…

"Dou ahou."

"Oh shut it, fox!"

…why couldn't he feel any control over this game?

* * *

"Triangle and two isn't going to work anymore."

Miyagi, who had migrated over to Shohoku's bench during the lull in action, kept his attention on the court as he conferred with Anzai. The two were brainstorming changes that had to be made now that Hiroshi was out and Akihiro was making for the scorer's table to be put back into the game. Hiroshi was propped against the leg of the bench, the end farthest from the coach, warm-ups over him like a blanket. The freshman had seemingly calmed down and instead looked drained, eyes barely focused.

"Before, we could cheat off Hiromu because he didn't have much of a jumper. But with Akihiro back in…"

"Back to 2-3 zone?" Ayako suggested, trying to give them ideas.

Anzai and Miyagi mulled it over briefly. In that time, Toshiya made his first free-throw and brought the scores to 67-66, Daiei High lead.

"What do you think, Miyagi-kun?" Anzai asked calmly, again deferring to his point guard. The entire game had perhaps been the most freedom the coach had ever given Miyagi— and the point guard knew it.

Miyagi continued to stare down the other end of the court, imagining the scenarios in his head. That background pressure, of getting handed more and more responsibilities with the team, was pushed from his mind as he thought of a solution.

"Maybe man-to-man. It's what the guys are used to, anyway."

Anzai nodded, as if expecting that answer. Haruko, however, was incredulous.

"I don't understand," she said, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. The tension of the game was getting to her—the emotions now that much more intense now that she was courtside and involved with the decision-making process. "Why…"

"I don't know," Miyagi admitted, shooting the coach and the two manageresses a grin instead. "Feels right."

"It is not a wrong choice," Anzai guffawed as Toshiya made his next free throw. 68-66. "In fact, it's an interesting one."

There was a brief pause that felt longer than it really was, before a grudging "thanks sensei" came out of Miyagi's mouth. The captain was quick to dash back onto the court to take the inbounds pass, not waiting for any response. At this Ayako couldn't help but smile, seeing Miyagi and Anzai's strained relationship start to rebuild.

"But what's the right choice?" Haruko tried again, curious.

Anzai fell into deep thought at this. Kogure and the other benchwarmers thought over their own answers, wondering what they would have done in Miyagi's shoes.

"There is no right answer," Anzai said slowly, eyes back on the game. "I would not have chosen Miyagi-kun's way. But perhaps that is good too—to be unorthodox."

_Says one of the most unorthodox coaches in Japanese basketball, _Kogure smiled to himself. He watched Miyagi quickly inform the nearby Shohoku players of the decision before the diminutive player made a shoo-ing motion, evidently upset that the other players weren't fast enough to get onto offense.

Kogure thought of Akagi yelling at the freshmen the year he had become captain and felt his smile widen, just a bit.

* * *

Miyagi walked the ball towards the half-court line, free of Matsumaru's defense. Miyagi's earlier display of escaping the steal seemed to have made Matsumaru wary of making ill-attempted plays at the ball and instead he was playing it safe, waiting at the other side of the court for him.

Out of the corner of his eye Miyagi saw Mitsui jog by, the shooter looking every bit as tired as Miyagi was. It had been a surprise to Miyagi, how easily Mitsui had accepted his decision to play man-to-man. At times like this, Miyagi didn't know how to react other than to give his vice-captain a hard time.

"Time for you to pay up old man," Miyagi grinned as soon as his vice-captain was within earshot. "You let that Toshiya beat you so many times on defense, you better give me some threes."

"Who the hell do you think you're talking to?" Mitsui smiled back, wise to Miyagi's provocations. "Give me the ball and watch the lead come back."

"You said it, then!" Miyagi shouted, catching the attention of the other Shohoku players as their offense moved seamlessly, Rukawa a blur as he sprinted out to the three-point arc. Miyagi fired a pass over to the Shohoku ace and forced his aching muscles into action, shooting past Matsumaru with a burst of speed to draw the defense away.

Rukawa sized up Tsuchiya, the two continuing their battle.

_He's done,_ Tsuchiya realized, close enough now to judge Rukawa's condition. The ace was burning with competition, his frosty glare enough to intimidate lesser opponents—but Tsuchiya knew when a lion was defanged. Rukawa's moves were slow, lethargic. While Tsuchiya had long suspected Rukawa was out of energy, this was the first time Rukawa didn't seem able to hide it. It was very possible that the long pause in gameplay had stiffened the ace's muscles, forced him to recognize how tired he was.

Rukawa's eyes widened when Tsuchiya abruptly stepped closer, no longer afraid of Rukawa beating him off the dribble. As if confirming Tsuchiya's assessment, Rukawa shot a pass inside to Kakuta, who was now matched against Akihiro.

"Give and go!" Tsuchiya shouted before Rukawa could even take a step forward, alerting his teammates of the potential play. Again, it appeared he had guessed right as Rukawa's sneakers squeaked against the tiles, deciding at the last moment to not try and race past Tsuchiya. Kakuta shot a nervous glance over his shoulder, knowing the ball was a ticking bomb in his hands because he was more likely to get it stolen than to pull off any move against the much stronger and bigger Akihiro.

"You aren't much of anything, are you?" Akihiro grinned savagely, calmed from his earlier scuffle with Rukawa but apparently just as cocky.

"Right here!" Mitsui shouted, momentarily free of Toshiya due to a clever screen set by Miyagi. Heaving a sigh of relief at the sight of his open teammate, Kakuta made a bounce pass back out to the shooter before he realized his mistake.

Matsumaru's hand appeared, as if out of nowhere, falling right between the path of the ball and Mitsui.

"Oh shi—" Mitsui breathed, caught off guard at the other point guard's game sense. Just before Matsumaru could get his hands on the steal, another arm darted forward, knocking the pass just off-course enough that Mitsui was able to chase the errant pass down. Without any hesitation and not realizing he was far outside the three-point line, Mitsui squared up and let fly the shot, knowing he likely wouldn't get this open again.

The ball splashed through the net, eliciting stunned gasps from the crowd. 69-68 now, Shohoku back up top.

Mitsui focused his attention away from the basket, his ears still ringing with the sound of his own swish. His satisfaction dissipated into shock when he saw who had been the savior of the play.

"I said 'let this Tensai handle it,' didn't I Ryo-chin?" Sakuragi raged, locking the nearby Miyagi in a headlock. "Why didn't you pass to me? I had to go get the ball myself!"

"You mean you didn't knock the ball away on purpose?" Mitsui wondered aloud, stunned.

"Why would I—" Sakuragi stopped himself, realizing he had been caught. The arm around Miyagi's neck loosened and instead Sakuragi brushed a hand through his hair, looking as confident as ever.

"Of course I did. A Tensai play by the greatest Tensai in all of—"

"That's such an obvious lie!"

Before Sakuragi could defend himself further, Miyagi delivered a swift kick to the redhead's rear.

"Shut up and get back on defense, you idiot!"

Sakuragi dashed off obediently, mumbling under his breath all the while. Miyagi winced, rubbing his neck—the redhead's strength hadn't abated at all, despite the intense game and having to deal with Ken.

_Unbelievable, that guy,_ Miyagi thought to himself, turning on his heel so he could focus on pressing Matsumaru full-court. _Talk about always being at the right place when it matters…_

Matsumaru was still going strong, able to maneuver around Miyagi's pestering defense without much difficulty. Miyagi couldn't help but feel some admiration for his old colleague—even though Matsumaru didn't stick with Shohoku, he had honed his skills and carved out his own niche on Daiei High.

As soon as Matsumaru passed the half-court line, he shot a lightning-quick pass right over Miyagi's shoulder. His target was no surprise to anyone: Akihiro caught the ball and immediately backed his rear into Kakuta, intending to power past the smaller player.

"Don't give up, Kakuta!" the Shohoku bench shouted in encouragement. Kakuta seemed to heed their words and, with sheer determination, managed to push back against Akihiro and only give up a minimal amount of ground. However, Akihiro simply continued to back in and wear Kakuta down, making less progress than he had anticipated but progress nonetheless.

Sakuragi shot a discreet look over at Mitsui, his intentions communicated through that simple glance: he had seen enough and wanted to rotate off Ken to help Kakuta. Mitsui was quick to shake his head, much to Sakuragi's chagrin. But unlike the redhead, Mitsui knew that an open Ken would be a far bigger problem for any of the Shohoku defenders than Akihiro.

Akihiro made a powerful stride in, using his wide frame to push Kakuta out of position. With the first line of defense out Sakuragi now rotated over, trying to place himself between Akihiro and the rim. But it was too late—Akihiro lifted into the air and threw down a one-handed dunk, drawing a roar of approval from the crowd's Daiei High supporters.

"Get me someone that can actually play," Akihiro scoffed, bumping shoulders with Kakuta purposefully before he lumbered off to defense. Sakuragi scowled, displeased that Daiei High had scored with minimal effort.

"Listen here," Sakuragi draped an arm over Kakuta's shoulder and drew him close, the backup already breaking into a sweat from giving his full effort on defense. "You practice with this Tensai all the time. There's no way you can let Kinkuman score so easily!"

_If only it were that simple_, Mitsui sighed inwardly, overhearing the conversation. Kakuta was completely outmatched physically when compared to Akihiro—it was an unfortunate and unavoidable fact. That Kakuta had even held Akihiro back that long was worthy of praise.

Miyagi was unaware of Sakuragi's lecture and instead was already making his way towards the half-court line with the ball, trying to think of a way to solve the matchup problem himself.

_We have to force Tsuchiya to get the ball again,_ Miyagi decided. The weakness that he and Rukawa spotted earlier would be their only chance for the team to pull away. Noticing the Shohoku ace already in position, Miyagi entrusted the possession to their star player and fired a chest pass to Rukawa, who was again being tightly marked by Tsuchiya.

Rukawa held the ball away from his opponent, taking a moment to assess where his teammates were on the court. But Tsuchiya would give Rukawa no such luxury and began to actively press up against him, not even giving the other ace any room to make a solid offensive play. The ease at which Rukawa had given up the ball earlier had told Tsuchiya more than enough about how the sequence could play out.

_Can't shoot under this defense. Even if he somehow has enough power to beat me off the dribble, the others will triple-team him. He only has one option if he has no energy…_

Just as predicted, Rukawa made a motion to pass back out to Mitsui. Tsuchiya didn't make a move until the last possible moment: right when the ball was on the edges of Rukawa's fingertips, Tsuchiya shot forward, aiming to pick off the pass. It was a very dangerous move, an unexpected one from the normally methodical player. If Rukawa had been faking the pass, Tsuchiya would have been completely out of position and Shohoku's lead would likely have extended. But maybe because of Tsuchiya's perceived nature throughout the game, the move worked—his index finger made just enough contact to knock the pass awry.

Tsuchiya's vice-captain was the first to react, likely because he would have taken the same action. In an instant, Toshiya bounded forward and scooped the loose ball up, so quickly that the other Shohoku players didn't even register the entire series of events at first.

"Oh no. Oh Rukawa," Haruko whispered from the benches, knowing that the momentum was once again changing. A part of her ached, seeing Rukawa in that condition. To see him break down while his eyes still burned with that competitive fire was a sight she had never thought she would see again, after last year's Kainan match. Except this time it was happening right on the court, at a most important time.

Shohoku's defense managed to get back, though Daiei High again did not make any serious attempt at a fast break. It was becoming increasingly clear that the reason Daiei High did not actively push the ball had partly to do with the lack of athleticism from their starters—whether this was a conscious decision by Tsuchiya was difficult to ascertain. Miyagi stood ready at the half-court line, waiting for the other Daiei High players to finish getting to their side of the court.

"It's okay Rukawa," Miyagi consoled, shooting a glance over his shoulder to check the ace's condition. Rukawa didn't even acknowledge the comment, his focus completely on the approaching Tsuchiya. The previous mistake was no doubt stewing behind his fierce exterior, but even Miyagi was starting to have doubts about Rukawa's condition.

Everyone was dead tired. There was no denying it—they had been fatigued minutes into the game. It was even more unfortunate that they had to play a team that was built around wearing the other players down. The battle of endurance was now at its head: could the other Shohoku players hold onto their lead until the end?

Miyagi focused his attention on Matsumaru—and was surprised to see that the point guard didn't have the ball. Instead, Toshiya was handling the possession, the vice-captain having never given the ball up since the steal.

_Did they figure it out?_ Miyagi felt panic for the briefest of moments. But it wouldn't make sense. Despite the frightening awareness Toshiya seemed to have, even he couldn't possibly have known that Rukawa and Miyagi had found one of the few flaws in Daiei High's offense.

No, there were only two real options. They could either keep picking at Shohoku's weakness and go to Akihiro. Or they could do a different play, one that Daiei High probably had planned guarantee a good look at the basket.

"Get ready, Sakuragi. Kakuta," Miyagi warned, knowing the two were behind him and would heed his words. Mitsui, also sensing the impending danger, brushed past Miyagi to meet his opponent.

Toshiya tilted his head up just enough so he could see Mitsui, some of his messy hair having gotten into his vision. The shot clock wound down and Mitsui paused, waiting for Toshiya to make the first move. The other Shohoku players were on high alert, preparing for what was to come.

When the shot clock finally hit ten seconds, Toshiya sprung into action. He lunged forward with ghostly speed, enough to force Mitsui to shift his feet. But as soon as he did, Mitsui realized that Toshiya had again won the mental game: the sickly player had only jerked his upper body forward, though it had been done so convincingly that Toshiya looked in danger of losing his balance as he leaned back to a standing position. The move had still accomplished its aim and Toshiya was able to recover before Mitsui could, giving the Daiei High vice-captain that precious second to get one step past the defense.

"Sakuragi, switch!" Mitsui shouted. The redhead was already moving forward, preparing to block off Toshiya's drive to the basket. Mitsui dashed away from his defensive assignment, aiming to get into a potential passing lane between Toshiya and Ken now that the latter was open. Toshiya's dribble slowed for the briefest of moments upon Sakuragi's advancement—not out of panic, but to accurately judge the distance between the two players.

"This is my world!" Sakuragi challenged, crouched just enough so he could leap into the air at a moment's notice to block any shots. Toshiya's arm wrapped around his own hip, shooting a behind-the-back pass straight to Akihiro.

Miyagi spied Tsuchiya and Rukawa near the Kakuta-Akihiro matchup, and it suddenly clicked into place.

_The only backup for Kakuta was Sakuragi in the post. But now—_

"Don't rotate off him, Rukawa!" Miyagi ordered, albeit too late; Rukawa, having sensed that Kakuta could not hold back Akihiro, had moved just far enough away from the Daiei High captain to try and scare Akihiro into passing back out. It was both a mistake and not on Rukawa's part to do this—there was no clear way to defend the play. It had been designed to exploit a matchup weakness, after all.

Akihiro, while turning into Kakuta, did indeed throw a pass—but it was right to Tsuchiya, who was now open. Rukawa turned, far too slowly, as Tsuchiya took one step backwards from where he was.

So he could get outside the three-point line.

Tsuchiya lifted into the air, and as if he had planned this entire sequence before the game had even started, shot his very first three of the night.

It swished through the bottom of the net. 73 to 69, Daiei High's lead. A little over two minutes remaining.

"Great comeback, guys!" Hiromu clapped from the bench, the other Daiei High supporters in the crowd cheering with renewed enthusiasm. Miyagi could only stand in awe, shocked at the depth behind the play.

_How did they plan this so quickly? This adjustment is unbelievable. If I had rotated over, Akihiro would have bullied his way in and probably got a three-point play as well. And Tsuchiya had not shot a single three-pointer all game—we had assumed that wasn't part of his offensive repertoire. And if we didn't help, they would have scored on Kakuta nine times out of ten with Sakuragi out of the picture. To assess all this just based off their single offensive possession before this…_

Miyagi felt both a sense of shock and admiration at the cunning of this opposing team. Though their coach was practically invisible, the combination of Tsuchiya and Toshiya had surmounted each challenge during the game, completely on the fly, through intelligent basketball.

Kakuta panted for breath, the burden of guarding Akihiro exhausting. Despite all the playing time Kakuta had gotten during Sakuragi's absence, the players on the Nationals stage were indeed at a different level.

Mitsui looked profoundly upset at these turn of events. He inbounded the ball to Miyagi and dashed off onto offense, sullen and appearing ready to pay the other team back with a few threes of his own. Sakuragi sported the same angry look, displeased that Rukawa had let Tsuchiya score, unaware of the brilliance behind Daiei High's play.

They were both raring to defeat their opponent. Miyagi knew this. But something in him, unexplainable, was guiding his actions as he crossed the half-court line and found himself again ready to hand the ball off to the exhausted Rukawa.

Rukawa was doubled over, catching his breath and made no sudden run-out to catch a potential pass. Miyagi could not pass under such a condition: the offensive player, when being guarded, has to always come out to meet the pass or risk it being stolen. The Shohoku ace tilted his head up just enough to meet Miyagi's eyes. Despite Rukawa's exhaustion, Miyagi could sense that same competitive fire burning uncontrollably behind that icy gaze, equal to that of Mitsui's and Sakuragi's.

Miyagi hesitated. His brain told him that Mitsui and Sakuragi were better options right now. Rukawa had messed up earlier, besides.

Miyagi saw Mitsui out of the corner of his eye, looking ready to try and lose Toshiya. Sakuragi down low, fighting for position against Ken.

And still, his attention shifted back to Rukawa.

_**Akagi… how much do you trust your teammate's pride?**_

That question surfaced again in his head, the same question he had asked himself when Rukawa had lead the offense and willed Shohoku into the lead earlier in the game. Though Rukawa was no longer explicitly saying "give me the ball" as he did earlier, Miyagi had sensed those words behind the ace's silent gaze.

_**When do you know it's detrimental to the team?**_

A play surfaced in Miyagi's mind. One that would get Rukawa the ball. It was a stupid, dangerous, uncertain thing. But Rukawa had delivered against Kainan when he had run this play, making the game-tying shot over Jin.

Miyagi had to believe that he could do it again.

Miyagi put his head down and charged forward, his legs screaming with pain but forcing himself to push through it anyway as he brought his full speed to bear. It was enough to break past Matsumaru, and as he continued to advance towards the basket he could see Akihiro leaving Kakuta behind to try and guard the potential layup. It must have been a great surprise to the power forward when Miyagi leaned into that wall of muscle, forcing the contact.

Miyagi threw the ball blindly behind his head and over his shoulder, just past Matsumaru's fingertips and—

"Rukawa!" Miyagi shouted, the single exclamation filled with urgency, warning… and faith.

—right into Rukawa's waiting hands, the ace having rotated right to the spot that Miyagi had expected him to be at. Tsuchiya was still between Rukawa and the basket, but now Akihiro and Matsumaru were woefully out of position.

Rukawa brought the ball low and in an instant, exploded forward with such speed that no one on the court could have believed that the ace was barely keeping himself upright a second earlier. Tsuchiya was completely caught off-guard, having been pressed too far up against Rukawa to give him a chance to catch back up. Rukawa cradled the ball against himself, diving straight into the mess of bodies in the post as Ken, Akihiro, and Matsumaru all converged to stop the ace.

Rukawa lifted into the air, twirling, adjusting himself so that his back was facing the other three players and blocking off any chance of them inadvertently knocking the ball out of his hands.

_**When do you know you made the right decision as captain?**_

He hung in the air, gliding from one side of the basket to the other. With a movement as graceful as any dancer's, he rocked his arm out from hip to sky, away from the others attempting to block his shot. The ball left his hand, hung in the air… and swished right through the net.

73-71.

"YES!" Miyagi pumped his fist in the air, a surge of relief and awe driving a new surge of adrenaline through his veins.

"What a reverse-layup!" the Shohoku bench erupted, a chorus of cheers and high-fives almost loud enough to match that of all the fans in the crowd. Haruko had a hand to her mouth, overcome with emotion over witnessing such a difficult shot.

"That's our ace!" Ayako beamed, not even bothering to update her stats book—besides, how could she forget a move like that?

Rukawa stumbled after his landing, barely catching himself. The noise around him was more than enough to let him know that he had made the shot. However, there was not a second to rest—the other Shohoku players were already making their way onto defense and Rukawa pushed his fatigued body forward, ready to join them.

"How did you do that?"

Rukawa tilted his head over his shoulder to see Tsuchiya, still standing where Rukawa had blown past him. The Daiei High captain didn't look surprised at the move Rukawa had pulled off, but his voice shook with frustration as he spoke.

"Where did that come from? You've been guarding me all game. There's no way you can't be exhausted. Absolutely no way…" Tsuchiya trailed off, his pride having taken a huge hit.

How hard he had worked to get his endurance to the levels they were at now. How much thought it had taken him, to design an offense that revolved around him wearing the other star players down. For something like this to happen, for him to be completely beaten in an end-game situation when the opponent was at his most fatigued, was unheard of. It was almost as if Rukawa had not lost a single step—no, he had been even faster than earlier.

Rukawa turned away, continuing to jog off onto defense.

"Dou ahou. Second wind."

Tsuchiya could only stare in disbelief at Rukawa's retreating back, stunned at the stupidly simplistic explanation. Rukawa absently glanced towards the scoreboards, reflecting.

"Or maybe third…"

"Captain."

Toshiya sidled up shoulder-to-shoulder, voice low, breaking into Tsuchiya's thoughts.

"Same play?"

"Yeah," Tsuchiya answered evenly, refocusing on the task at hand. The game was not out of their reach yet—as long as they kept scoring and kept forcing Shohoku to play catchup, it wouldn't be long before the differences in abilities would be evident. Shohoku had one gaping weakness that could not be ignored at the power forward position, after all.

Toshiya slowly walked the ball up-court, seeming content to take his time so the shot clock would continue to wind down. Mitsui stepped up, ready to defend—

—and instead Toshiya shot forward, not waiting as long as he did previously.

"Sakuragi, it's the same play!" Mitsui managed, again rotating to block off Ken. Toshiya's arm snaked around his own waist again, aiming a behind the back pass to—

Miyagi was in the passing lane to Akihiro.

"Won't work twice," Miyagi mumbled to himself, having predicted the play as soon as he had seen Toshiya handle the ball. Daiei High had never been particularly imaginative in their offensive sets—it was why Hiroshi had been able to predict their actions so well before he had been taken off the floor.

Without pausing, Toshiya brought his arm with the ball back to a natural position before firing a long pass to Tsuchiya. It was a dangerous decision: Rukawa had read the play just as Miyagi had and was ready for a steal. It was instead Matsumaru, who had been left open by Miyagi, that was able to rescue the play by using himself as a screen for Tsuchiya to get open just long enough to grab the pass. Rukawa managed to recover the very next instant and was again in front of his opponent, his earlier fatigue seemingly no longer evident.

Tsuchiya's gaze swung up to the shot clock. Seeing only 15 seconds left, he sprung into action and drove straight for the basket. As soon as the ball hit the floor, Rukawa moved just enough to shadow Tsuchiya's dribbling hand, forcing Tsuchiya into having very little room to handle the ball. Abruptly stopping his dribble, Tsuchiya leapt into the air, about to fire a jumper over Rukawa's outstretched arm—

—before he decided to pass to Toshiya.

Just as Miyagi had predicted.

Tsuchiya realized his mistake far too late and instead could only watch as Miyagi raced forward, right between the ball and Toshiya. Miyagi couldn't help but let loose a smirk as he stretched a hand out, about to knock the pass awry.

Perhaps he had let the prospect of the steal get to him. Perhaps he had just lost focus of his surroundings, having devoted all his attention to seeing what Tsuchiya would decide to do with the ball. But a brief lapse in concentration was all it took: Miyagi went for the ball, his full attention on that one instant.

And he did not see Akihiro's brawny frame heading in the same direction, trying to save the play, knowing what Miyagi was intending. A collision was now imminent.

Miyagi's astounding senses and reaction gave him just enough awareness to, when he noticed the obstruction appear in front of him, try to spin around and dodge around Akihiro. But it was too little, too late; a combination of momentum and bad luck caused Miyagi to jam his right index finger directly into Akihiro's hip.

He felt his finger give, white hot pain shooting straight to his head.

"SHIT!" Miyagi swore loudly, his left hand immediately cupping over his right as he stumbled a step away. His face twisted into a grimace, agony stretched across his features. His exclamation and contact with Akihiro was just enough to make the other player mishandle the pass. Even with the pain now assaulting his senses, Miyagi saw the ball dance around precariously on Akihiro's fingertips and felt his body take over; his left hand shot back out and swiped right at the ball, knocking it out of Akihiro's hands and to the court.

Rukawa launched into action, not letting his captain's steal go to waste. Again, with that unexpected burst of energy, he scooped the loose ball up and sprinted for Shohoku's goal. Though it was clear that he was on his last legs and his speed was drastically slower, he had enough of a head start to beat the other Daiei High players and laid the ball softly up and in, finally allowing Shohoku to tie the game up at 73-73.

"NO TIMEOUT!" Miyagi roared at the bench, his left hand cradling his right again. He ground his teeth together and doubled over, trying his best to keep his head up just enough to see what was happening on the court.

Those around the Shohoku bench had already shot to their feet upon seeing Miyagi's injury. The Daiei High players on the court spared a few glances at Miyagi reprimanding his teammates but were more focused on trying to win the points back. Matsumaru had already raced back downcourt to inbound, not wasting any time.

Ayako, who was also amongst those watching Miyagi in concern from the sidelines, made a move towards the scorer's table to call the timeout anyway.

"This is no time to try and be tough, Ryota!" Ayako called to him in frustration. Miyagi could offer no more words, apparently trying to bite back any sounds of pain that might surface. While the timeout wouldn't occur until Shohoku regained possession, putting it in now seemed to be all that mattered. Anzai said nothing and sat in his Buddha-like position, his actions indicating that he at least did not disagree with taking a timeout.

"Don't do it."

The source of the raspy protest was a surprise to everyone: Hiroshi, whose gaze was alert again, didn't so much as turn his head but rather dropped his chin to one shoulder so his voice would be projected towards the others, and especially Ayako.

Ayako stopped mid-step and whirled around, clearly irritated that she was bothering to listen. But because it was Hiroshi speaking, she found herself unable to ignore his words.

Hiroshi didn't tear his gaze away, trying to convey the importance of delaying the timeout.

"They're at their limit. Let them rest, and they won't be playing at this intensity."

"Don't be silly. Ryota is…!"

Hiroshi said nothing at first, his exhausted stare boring into Ayako. He chose his words carefully, thinking it over, acting as though he knew not to worry about Ayako turning on her heel and just ignoring him.

"You know better than I… why that would be the wrong move."

Ayako did. She did, and it's because she did that this torrent of emotion in her hurt so much. Was the win so much more important? Does delaying this timeout even guarantee anything? At least if she called timeout she could treat Miyagi and give the others a breather. It was a tangible, attainable reality. Anything else was not.

"I know how you feel," Hiroshi sighed, his head lolling back into a neutral position so he could continue watching the game. "But… just look at the Captain. These last few minutes… what amazing basketball he's playing."

Ayako bit her lip and found herself unable to say anything more. If Miyagi's dream truly was becoming the number one point guard, then for her to take him out of the game…

She sat back down in a huff, not happy with her own decision but bearing with it regardless. Hiroshi managed a small, knowing smile before he returned his full attention to his team's fight.

"Might need some help on this one," Miyagi managed through gritted teeth, Mitsui close enough to catch his words. Though Mitsui said nothing he shot a glance over towards Tsuchiya, gauging the other player's reaction to the previous steal.

Mitsui had known that Miyagi and Rukawa were plotting something. After that steal, he now could guess at what they found out—and Miyagi was banking on that fact.

The true question was: had Daiei High also caught on?

Toshiya had the ball again. Mitsui knew it didn't mean anything, but just maybe…

Mitsui brushed past Miyagi and prepared to mark Toshiya, anticipating a charge towards the middle. Toshiya paused, his face as unreadable as always. Mitsui sensed something change in the atmosphere and suddenly felt that Miyagi's plan wouldn't work.

The moment abruptly passed when Toshiya jerked forward, his step squeaking against the hardwood. Mitsui's body tensed but he gave no ground. Toshiya pulled back and then pushed the ball towards the left, planning to cut towards the middle. Mitsui shuffled his feet… and that was enough. Toshiya made a beautiful between-the-legs crossover and was soon going in the completely opposite direction, leaving Mitsui behind.

Toshiya brought the ball to his hip, ready to bring the ball back up for a shot—

—and Mitsui, having made an incredible recovery after being beaten, now had a hand on the ball.

"Oops," Toshiya mumbled, his voice calm as ever despite now being unable to shoot and close to having the ball taken away. Before it could turn into a tug of war for possession, Toshiya instead swung the ball down in the same direction that Mitsui's hand was pushing, using Mitsui's momentum against him. His true purpose, however, was immediately made clear when Mitsui's grip loosened: Toshiya quickly shoveled the ball over to Tsuchiya, who was racing over to help.

Rukawa didn't give Tsuchiya an inch of breathing room, their toes practically touching as he shadowed his opponent's movements. Tsuchiya, now unable to get a clear angle to Akihiro, instead made a fake pass back out towards Matsumaru before he forced himself forward, trying to beat Rukawa off the dribble. Even in his fatigued state Rukawa was able to just barely keep up, preventing Tsuchiya from getting a good look at the basket. Tsuchiya jumped anyway, arm cocked back for a shot. At the very last second his gaze again flickered to Toshiya, about to send a pass his way.

What he instead saw was a grimacing Miyagi, full attention on Tsuchiya, right in that passing lane.

Again.

Tsuchiya's eyes widened in surprise, and now knowing he was completely out of options, took the shot. It was a bad shot for the ace, out of rhythm—the ball barely nicked the front of the basket. Under the rim, Sakuragi rushed forward to seize the defensive rebound. He secured it, a mere second before Ken reached the same space. The redhead held the ball high above his head so none of the shorter players could make an attempt at a steal, before handing the ball off to Mitsui.

Tsuchiya shot a look at the game clock, worry etched on his features. Just over a minute left, Shohoku leading by two.

_How could they have known that I—_

Tsuchiya suddenly made the unsettling connection. Blood pumped to his face, his heart quickened, his hands suddenly felt clammy. It was a realization that filled him with a mixture of disappointment and rage, mostly at himself, only because he had no idea it had become so evident to the other team.

The battle between Rukawa and Sawakita had left a deep impression on him, all right. To beat monsters like Rukawa and Sawakita, there was no choice but to use his teammates to help him attack. Because he could never beat them alone.

So he had stopped playing one-on-one basketball since witnessing that Sannoh-Shohoku game; a good look at the basket came easier when everyone shared the ball, after all. The offense had been built with that in mind: for a chance to get a good look at the basket. In the worst scenarios he left the ball to Toshiya, who never commanded as much attention as Tsuchiya did on the court. Even that was a planned move—it was natural for everyone to focus on the star player, the highest scoring player on the team. No one would believe he would just give the ball up at those moments.

Toshiya had made the same sacrifice he did. If the opposing team began to catch on to Toshiya's true level, Hiromu was brought in not just for a change of pace and to draw attention back to Tsuchiya, but to artificially lower Toshiya's scoring outputs for the scouting analysts of other teams. Tsuchiya had always known Toshiya could have just as easily been another team's ace, yet Toshiya himself had suggested this course of action when Tsuchiya had become captain. It had brought them to the Inter-Highs twice, so Tsuchiya had never thought they had made the wrong decision.

But… this difference in strength. Tsuchiya felt it again, the crushing weight of it. For a second, Tsuchiya had believed he had bested Rukawa with their plan. Maybe he did, physically, for a while. But Rukawa's spirit had never been crushed, not for an instant.

"_**You won't win. You're no opponent of mine."**_

So Rukawa had meant so much more to those words.

Rukawa was a foundation in Shohoku that could not crumble unless you hammered at it, over and over and over. Tsuchiya had not chosen the right method. He had relied on Toshiya and his teammates for the higher scoring chance at the first sign of danger, just like always. Meanwhile Rukawa had simply held onto one, unwavering belief: that he, and he alone, could still lead Shohoku to a victory.

Maybe all this had been an excuse to push away the responsibilities of being the team's ace to the others on his team. Tsuchiya was lacking the one true thing to make him an ace: taking full responsibility for shouldering a team during the worst crises. He thought he had been doing that all along by building his team's makeup, bit by bit. But Rukawa and Miyagi's actions had made it clear to him: they had never believed he could play Rukawa one-on-one.

One-on-one isolation plays were a part of team basketball as well. Tsuchiya had pushed that facet onto Toshiya—and Shohoku had realized it.

Tsuchiya wet his lips, finding his mouth suddenly cotton-dry.

"Guard this with your life, all of you! Man-to-man!" Tsuchiya shouted, his voice stronger than he had believed it could be.

Even if Shohoku knew, it didn't matter. There was a game to finish. And Tsuchiya would show them his buried one-on-one skills, if need be.

All that mattered was getting a win.

"Got it," Toshiya coughed, brushing sweat from his brow.

"Yes, oya-bun," Ken growled in return, already under Shohoku's basket.

"Don't have to worry," Akihiro shouted over the crowd, clapping his hands together to pump himself up.

"Ain't no big thing," Matsumaru replied evenly, lowering into defensive position.

Even with his ego hurt, Tsuchiya felt himself swell with pride at the resolution of his teammates. Daiei High was his. They deserved the best out of their leader.

He would deliver.

Shohoku, however, had other plans.

"Score here and they're finished!" Mitsui yelled, saying exactly what Miyagi had in mind. Miyagi wasn't handling the ball, unwilling to risk doing so against Matsumaru's tough defense; the two knew each other too well for Miyagi to try and outmaneuver his former teammate with one good hand. Instead Rukawa was slowly bringing the ball up, his movements lethargic due to exhaustion.

Tsuchiya raced forward, to put as much pressure on the tired Rukawa as possible. Rukawa narrowed his eyes, sensing Tsuchiya's renewed vigor. Never one to back down from a challenge, Rukawa faked a drive, bringing his dribble forward before yanking the ball back to safety lest Tsuchiya attempt a steal. It soon became clear that Rukawa was not making any sudden movements for the basket, smartly deciding to run off as much time as possible. Even though Tsuchiya played solid pressure defense, Rukawa was able to keep the ball away long enough for the shot clock to dwindle down into the single digits.

Rukawa straightened and took a deep breath.

"Captain!" Matsumaru shouted in warning, sensing what was to come. Rukawa abruptly lowered his head and charged forward, using his off-hand to fend off Tsuchiya's reaching-in. Knowing that Miyagi could pose no real threat in his state, Matsumaru rotated off and dashed to Rukawa for the double-team. Rukawa was forced to stop his dribble, wary of Matsumaru's capacity to steal the ball. However, just as he lifted into the air for a pull-up jumper, Tsuchiya stepped in and blocked out his vision.

"He's not going to underestimate you again," Toshiya wheezed from the other side of the court, giving Mitsui a discreet shove so the shooter would have no chance at a long rebound. "Don't get so full of yourself."

Rukawa was forced to adjust, bringing the ball closer to his shoulder than normal in order to prevent Tsuchiya from knocking the shot awry. He launched the shot at a higher angle, trying his best to make it regardless.

Sakuragi, senses on full-alert, traced the path of the ball and instantly knew it would come up short. However, Ken seemed to have realized the same thing and was able to block Sakuragi completely out from getting good rebounding position. The redhead gave Ken's right side a tap before trying to force his way left, hoping that the other center would lose concentration and give Sakuragi the opportunity to power his way in. Unfortunately it didn't work, and Sakuragi realized the only thing he could chance it all on was to out-jump Ken.

"This one's mine, Pineapple Head!" Sakuragi announced, his leg muscles twitching in anticipation. As expected, the ball bounced off the front of the rim—but not at the correct angle for Sakuragi to have any chance at getting the rebound. Ken surged into action, ready to grab the ball.

But another body awkwardly lanced forward. A pair of hands closed around the rebound, securing it just before Ken would have been able to snatch the ball away using his height alone. A pair of squinty eyes scanned the floor before the ball was heaved back out, straight to the now-open Miyagi, who fumbled the pass but managed to gain control by adjusting how his right hand held the ball.

Stunned looks all around on the Daiei High players' faces.

"Kakuta!" the Shohoku bench cried in astonishment. The Shohoku players on the floor had no time to express any sort of shock at the unexpected rebounder, as Miyagi had fired already a one-handed pass right back to Rukawa. However, each of them suddenly recalled Anzai's words from half-time, the coach's wisdom again precise:

_**"A single arrow is easily broken, but not ten in a bundle."**_

The offensive rebound was supremely important: now Shohoku could waste even more of the remaining 43 seconds of the game. Tsuchiya again was forced to guard Rukawa, aware of the implications of Shohoku getting an opportunity to reset.

Successfully guarding Rukawa on the last possession had been a great victory. Could Daiei High do it again?

Rukawa didn't even attempt to dribble, instead hugging the ball close to one side and angling his body so Tsuchiya could not attempt another reach-in without also chancing a foul. He studied his options while he caught his breath, trying to decide the best course of action.

"Fox!"

Just behind Tsuchiya, Sakuragi was fighting Ken for position, the two centers shoving and pushing against each other for ground. Rukawa gave his rival a blank look when the redhead held one hand up while using his other to keep Ken behind him, feeling that he was now close enough to get a good shot.

In a move that brought Shohoku's bench to their feet, Rukawa did the one thing no one expected:

He shot a post-entry pass right to Sakuragi.

"Pineapple Head!" Sakuragi said, feeling his muscles tense as he prepared to leap up to grab the pass. It had been made slightly higher than usual, in order to prevent Tsuchiya from knocking it awry. "Unfortunately for you…"

Sakuragi made a small hop into the air, securing the ball with both hands. Just as he landed, instead of planning out his options as he had done previously, Sakuragi spun off Ken's elbow with a beautiful drop-step towards the baseline. Ken was left frozen as Sakuragi made one strong dribble towards the basket.

Mitsui, watching from outside the three-point line, felt his fists clench in anticipation.

_Ken was waiting for Sakuragi to come down from the air, and that bit of psychological expectation prevented him from being on-guard for Sakuragi's drop step. Rukawa… did you pass it that high just because you were worried about Tsuchiya? Or…_

Sakuragi soared into the air, arm extended, and softly banked in a layup.

75-73. 16 seconds remaining.

Sakuragi turned, jabbing a finger directly at Ken.

"Unfortunately for you, your defense is nothing compared to Gori's!"

In a flurry of activity, Daiei High's players raced for their own basket, aiming to get a quick score. Matsumaru shot an inbounds to Tsuchiya, who was already off running. Between the time it took for Tsuchiya to turn his head and catch the ball, and for him to turn his attention forward again, Rukawa had appeared in front of him seemingly out of nowhere—panting heavily for breath, but ready to defend.

Tsuchiya sprinted ahead, bringing his full speed to bear. The feeling of playing one-on-one against Rukawa stirred something in him as he tried his very best to shake off the Shohoku ace.

Even his earlier assessment had been wrong, Tsuchiya now realized. It was not a matter of him having pushed his duties onto others.

It had been more than that. More than just about skirting responsibility. Tsuchiya had thought he had been alone, needing to force the team to match his vision of what it would take for Daiei High to win games.

Tsuchiya made a spin move, the ball bouncing beautifully, fully under his control. Rukawa had no chance to try and disrupt his dribble now.

Control, the one thing he thought he had always needed on the court. Knowing where everyone was. Knowing what their roles would be in any situation.

The clock continued to wind down as he faked a pass to Toshiya, who was running down the court as well. Rukawa, even now believing that Tsuchiya would not take the shot under pressure, lost his footing just enough for Tsuchiya to gain a step ahead of the ace.

For a brief instant, Tsuchiya was open. Just as he had designed each of his offensive plans to be, for him to get a clear look at the basket. But this time, he had gotten open without the help of a single screen.

Tsuchiya had misjudged his team. Misjudged the situation.

It had been just like what Toshiya said.

"_**That's why we have five players on the court."**_

Five players on the court. Five players that had to have the same mind, that had to function as one organic being.

Shohoku had it. Every single one of them, fixated solely on winning. Independent in their growth. Unified in their cause.

Tsuchiya had tried to unify his team with his own vision of what it would take to win. But there had been no need to do that, he now knew.

They all wanted to win too. They would have been his arms and legs regardless. All he had done was stifle their development.

He leapt into the air, the familiar feeling of the ball against his fingertips, arm cocked back for the open jumper just inside the three-point line.

He shot, just as he had done so many times before.

It clanged off the back of the rim.

Mitsui snagged the defensive rebound, managing to get it because Sakuragi was holding Ken back. Toshiya raced in, trying to force a foul to stop the clock. Mitsui, fully ready for Daiei High's attempt at a desperation foul, pushed the ball back towards Shohoku's own basket, the other Daiei High players chasing after him.

Tsuchiya closed his eyes, accepting the loss when he saw Mitsui hand the ball off to Miyagi.

"_**You have the right personality for it."**_

The final buzzer sounded a few seconds later.

75-73. Shohoku's win.

_I almost believed it, senpai._


	66. Chapter 65

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Author's Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating this wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Reviews:**

What the… I updated again _in the same month_? Could this be a sign of things to come?

…Nah.

Iron Duke – Thanks man! How's the basketball been going, bud?

Martin F – Wow, you're quite a reader! Thanks for sticking around. The chapter was indeed a long one—I had thought about breaking it into two, but I found myself unable to disrupt the flow of the match so I decided to just go with a longer chapter than usual.

Oh good, we have another baller! Great to hear it! How're things for you?

Kevin Martin is a great scorer but man his defense stinks. It feels like he's getting less foul calls this year too, but I think it's because of the offense that McHale runs. Any players or teams in basketball you particularly like?

Thanks a lot for the review man!

Hannah Shikari – HANNAH SHIKARI IS AN AWESOME REVIEWER AND FANTASTIC READER BECAUSE I SAY SO.

That was my caps lock voice. You know an author is serious (and right) when he does that.

Thanks a great deal for reading my work. Your enthusiasm for my writing, as well as all my reviewers' comments, really keeps me going. A writer isn't really much of anyone without readers.

I want to update more frequently but like you said, I try to write at my own pace and try my best so I don't write… well, stuff that I don't want others to read. Things could be faster if not for real life and all that but that's something we all deal with.

I'm glad that you think I'm developing the characters. I struggled with it mightily early on, but as I keep writing and the fiction swells I've been more or less forced into planning things out better and trying to craft characters with, you know, actual personality. That tends to result in better writing sometimes. Other times it results in a mess because I don't know what I'm doing and I stop writing in a huff. I'm retarded and stubborn like that.

I'm pretty good at that whole updating-super-slowly thing. But out of concern for your health, I'll be sure to stretch out my next update longer.

Kidding! (I think.) Thank you so much for reviewing!

Konoha's White Fang – Thanks a lot! I'm happy to see you sticking with my fic.!

I had always wanted to explore how everyone felt watching the Rukawa-Sawakita duel at the end of the manga, and Tsuchiya's personality kind of came about through that. Inoue made it clear he was a very good player so I thought how it must have felt for a really good player to have been given a glimpse of what might be unattainable—the rest wrote itself. Slowly, but it did.

KoiGirlPGSM – I appreciate it! Thanks for the review!

Star7 – Glad to see my writing has that effect! Hope you enjoy the chapter!

Laziness Incarnate – Yeah, Daiei High was the first team I felt that I did a decent job with. The others were not as good because I was so uncomfortable with introducing OCs to Inoue's universe, but right when I started to write Daiei High it kind of hit me that if the readers couldn't keep track of the characters then the reading experience would, well, suck. So I've cut loose a bit more in that regard.

I'm sad to see them go too. But we're likely to see some of their players making reappearances. Very likely, in fact.

Aznpikachu215 – Nice to see you again! The Shohoku players are not based off modern era players, only because I want to keep true to Inoue's vision and he designed the Shohoku boys in a different era. Not to say that I don't put in bits of modern players, because all of them have to evolve just like basketball has been evolving—but at their core I try to write their playing styles like Inoue had planned.

All three of the players you listed are awesome; out of the three I think Sakuragi is most like Aldridge.

The Girl in the Green Scarf – Sorry for my slow updates. I'm not a great writer so I have to think things out a bit more. The editing process actually is longer than some may think—I tend to have more ideas than what actually gets written, and I throw away a bunch of stuff. Thank you so much for sticking with my story, I hope that I can keep writing good stuff for readers like you.

Nathan – Where's my pat on the back?

A Lakers fan, huh? Yeah, I think they're in trouble this year and I'm not sure how deep they can go. There's obviously a lot of rumors about trades and I think they have to make one if they want to beat some of the tougher teams. Kobe is the only guy in there that seems to give a damn and I'm concerned about the other players' motors. World Peace has dropped off so fast that it shocked even me (speaking of which, I still think it's hilarious to call him that). They definitely need a solution at PG though, some games are so awful to watch because it's such an obvious weakness for them.

I think everyone's caught a bit of Linsanity. Dude is awesome. I was mad when the Rockets cut him but I didn't think he would be as good as he is now. I think the Knicks had a huge hole at PG and Lin happened to solve it. I think it'll be interesting to see how Melo meshes when he returns. What do you think of Lin's play?

I think your assessment of the situation in the NBA is right and I wonder how the Heat are going to perform this year—they always have a target on their back.

Thanks for enjoying my writing more than the Bobcats. I guess.

* * *

**Chapter 65 – Adversaries**

"Back to the Round of 16!"

Even with his injury, Miyagi couldn't contain himself and heaved the ball towards the stadium's rafters. A second later Mitsui was next to him, ruffling the shorter player's sweat-dampened hair as they celebrated their victory. Sakuragi already had Kakuta in a bear hug, visibly proud the benchwarmer had made such an important play.

Rukawa continued to catch his breath, using the neck of his jersey to wipe off some sweat collected around his face. Via a carefully planned ambush, Miyagi and Mitsui abruptly gave the Shohoku ace a good natured shove from the back in congratulations—not a single person in the gym was blind to the fact that Rukawa had carried the team to the victory. Rukawa tumbled forward and landed face-first to the ground, the slippery thump of his body against the hardwood instantly quieting the seniors' antics.

"Oh crap… did we hurt him?" Mitsui asked, worried. His fears were alleviated in the very next second by Rukawa's slow and steady breathing, indicating he had fallen asleep.

Everyone sweatdropped. _What is he, a robot that shuts down on cue?_

The benchwarmers were quick to flood the floor, gathering around the triumphant players. Anzai did not join the celebration, instead satisfied with watching his students celebrate a hard-earned victory, chuckling to himself from the benches.

Things would only get tougher. Anzai knew this. They all knew it. But for now, he was content to let the young men he had mentored relish this moment.

"Ryota!"

Miyagi turned to see Ayako offering him a thumbs-up, her other hand pressing a clipboard to her chest.

"Not bad, Captain."

Miyagi swelled with pride, a smile stretching across his face. He returned the thumbs-up with his good hand.

"Did you expect anything less?"

Ayako strode up to him, holding a hand out. For a moment, Miyagi interpreted it as her wanting to hold hands and a furious blush blossomed on his face.

"Er, Aya-chan, I—"

"Let's take a look at that injury of yours."

"Oh," Miyagi mumbled, deflated. Ayako didn't even notice, instead tilting her head in questioning at his abrupt disappointment. Before Miyagi could say anything more, Sakuragi tackled him from the side, dragging the shorter player off to join the other members.

"Hey, easy with him!" Ayako shouted in worry, reaching out and grabbing the air Miyagi had been in a second earlier. Miyagi burst into laughter as he was taken into the rejoicing gaggle of players, the redhead clearly having not heard her advice.

"In the lockers! Let them finish celebrating."

Ayako heaved a sigh of frustration, taken aback at the childishness of the team. But the sight of the Shohoku basketball players, so simple in their delight at having won, dissolved her negative feelings just as quickly as they had surfaced.

Miyagi, exchanging high-fives with all the juniors of the club. Kakuta, being treated like a hero by the benchwarmers. Yasuda, his normally calm face now spread into all smiles. The Sakuragi Army, gathered around their leader. Said leader letting loose loud, obnoxious laughter and professions of his genius while Haruko held onto his every word. Hiroshi, being supported by Kuwata, exhausted but beaming proudly. And Rukawa in the middle of the crowd, oblivious to it all, taking the nap he had promised he would against Tsuchiya.

They had earned it.

"It's strange."

Mitsui sidled up next to Ayako, a pensive expression on his face. Kogure stood next to the shooter, having not joined in the rowdy celebration. Ayako didn't face them, instead continuing to watch the boys she had trained and grown to respect continuing to enjoy their win.

"Just a few months back I was worried if we could even make the Nationals again. And now, we're right where we left off." Mitsui shook his head. "This year has been crazy."

"The result will be different this time," Kogure said quietly, confident and sure in his words. "You guys are beaten up, but everyone is still fine."

They fell silent, the implications of Kogure's words clear. If Sakuragi had not gotten injured last year, what had their ceiling been—a ragtag group of delinquents and talents that had taken down the best in the high school basketball world?

"That was the best team. Ever," Ayako stated, a well of complex emotions bubbling to her chest. She felt her eyes misting over, just a bit. "But most of us are still here from last year."

Maybe we can create another miracle, Ayako didn't say.

Kogure, seeming to have been struck with those same intense feelings of nostalgia, pushed his glasses up and looked towards the crowd.

"If only Akagi was here to see them now."

"He'll get his chance," Ayako whispered, trying to keep her voice steady. "Haruko will be sure to let him know. He won't be able to stay away forever. Basketball is still in his blood."

"I can't deny that." Kogure paused. "No one can replace him."

Mitsui spoke up this time, turning on his heel as he made for the lockers before the others. It was unclear if his abrupt exit was because he had grown uncomfortable with the topic or if he was feeling somewhat emotional, himself.

"Maybe not one single person."

Sakuragi had finally noticed his rival's prone body in the middle of the court. He was already demanding markers so he could draw on Rukawa's face, a suggestion that seemed to drive Haruko into a flurry of concern.

Kogure and Ayako watched Mitsui pace off, the veteran player shuffling slowly due to fatigue but his voice deep and strong.

"Because conquering the nation is not something _any_ of us had ever given up on."

* * *

**Shohoku High**

Miyagi Ryota – 1-1 FG, 2-2 FT, 4 assists, 1 steal, **4 points**

Mitsui Hisashi – 4-7 FG, 2-4 three pointers, 1-1 FT, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, **11 points**

Rukawa Kaede - 15-19, 1-1 three pointers, 0-1 FT, 4 rebounds (3 offensive), 8 assists, 2 steals, **31 points**

Kawasaki Hiroshi – 4-4 FG, 1-1 FT, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 3 blocks, **9 points**

Sakuragi Hanamichi – 8-14 FG, 7 rebounds (1 offensive), 2 assists, 1 block, **16 points**

Kakuta Satoru - 1-1 FG, 1 rebound, 1 assist,** 2 points**

Yasuda Yasuharu – 1-1 FG, 1 assist, 1 steal, **2 points**

Iishi Kentaro– 1 assist

**Daiei Tech**

Matsumaru Daisuke – 2-3 FG, 7 assists, 1 steal, **4 points**

Iyama Toshiya – 3-4 FG, 4-4 FT, 2 assists, 3 steals, **10 points**

Tsuchiya Atsushi - 10-13 FG, 1-1 three pointers, 3-3 FT, 5 assists, **24 points**

Hirai Akihiro – 5-7 FG, 1-2 FT, 1 rebound, 1 assist, **11 points**

Shimoda Ken – 3-4 FG, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 4 blocks, **6 points**

Sorimachi Hiromu – 8-9 FG, 2-2 FT, 2 rebounds (1 offensive), 2 steals, **18 points**

* * *

The young woman snapped her notebook shut, quietly digesting the statistics she had just finished compiling. Even in the crowded stadium she stood out—she had a unique, lively air about her that seemed to demand attention. Long, cascading straight raven hair cupped around her pale face and sparkling glints of auburn dotted the whites of her eyes, full of intelligence and vibrancy.

The game had certainly been an interesting one. She had followed Daiei High closely this year, believing them to be a dark horse for the Finals. Their coach was no one worth remembering, but Tsuchiya had always been someone to monitor due to his stellar team play. The strong emergence of Iyama Toshiya and sixth man sensation Sorimachi Hiromu this year had been alarming, and for a period of time she had worried that her team might have to personally deal with them. Fortunately that problem was now solved, though not in a way she had expected.

Shohoku High. She wasn't quite sure what to make of them, just yet.

"Aoba-san?"

She glanced over her shoulder. Two tall young men stood at the steps of the gym aisles, donned in basketball warm-ups. The shorter of the two, the one that had spoken, was distinctly bald. His eyes were wide and rounded, gaze sharp. Despite his shorter stature he was stockier than the taller player, noticeably fit and toned even under his baggy warm-ups.

The taller player was practically his opposite. His body appeared almost built for the basketball courts: towering height, arms that practically reached his knees, a ferocious, studious stare behind a calm exterior. He had a neat, trimmed goatee and though lankier than the shorter player, he was by no means slight and gave off an aura of quiet confidence.

The Meiho High insignia on their clothes could not be missed and upon seeing it, a flickering of repulsion passed across Aoba's features. Clearly recognizing the two, she offered them a wide, excruciatingly fake smile in greeting.

"I take it that if you two are here then that means you won without any trouble." She opened up her notebook again and flipped to a page, one that had a bent corner—obviously for easy reference.

"My notes tell me that, given the rate at which your team fouls, if the game had more than three timeouts you would have missed this game completely. Isn't that right… Koga-senpai?"

The shorter player, Koga, shook his head in disbelief.

"There was only one timeout, yes. The other team called it in the first half, when we were blowing the game open. Didn't do them any good," he added unnecessarily.

"Of course not," Aoba said matter-of-factly, closing her notebook. "After all, no one expects anyone to win against _you_ guys."

She fumbled for her belongings before standing, the three having fallen silent. Her previous comment had dripped so much sarcasm that the conversation had simply died out.

"If you'll excuse me." She made to move past them, head down so she wouldn't have to look at them any longer. Just as she was to push her way past the duo, Koga spoke up again.

"Not going to watch the Ryonan game? That Sendoh character could be problem for a team somewhere down the line. Likely yours."

Aoba did not miss the subtle jab. She paused in place, eyes narrowing in anger but careful to not make any sudden movements. She didn't want to give Koga the satisfaction of seeing her react to the underhanded insult.

"You must be joking. I did my research on them long before the Nationals. One game was enough for me to see what they're about."

"So that _does_ mean you're worried about them."

"Worried?" her voice sounded genuinely surprised.

"Come off it. Kainan not making the Nationals would make anyone curious as to what team could have replaced them. Why else would you be here, after all?"

"For Daiei High," Aoba said quickly.

"That's what _we_ came for. They were even better than I thought. At least, what I caught of it. That Tsuchiya was always a clever one—what a smart decision for that three-pointer."

Koga looked down at her, trying to gauge Aoba's reaction as he continued speaking.

"But for you… you came to see how Shohoku, the other Kanagawa representative, would play against them. That's your true motive." He tilted his head, as if trying to study her from a different angle.

"I'm right, aren't I? You guys must not have gotten news of the results about Shohoku beating Sannoh again until last night, since your team got a pass from participating in any games yesterday. Must have piqued your interest, to see them beat the best again. Shohoku didn't even make the Winter Cup, after all. "

"'The best?' Sannoh's era of dominance is over. There's too many good teams now," she dismissed, voice neutral. His theories had no outwards effect on her. "Shohoku was just a bad matchup for Sannoh. Nothing special."

Koga didn't tear his gaze away, though he still could not see her face.

"Another lie. You're not as quick-witted as I had always thought."

"And you're not as smart as you think you are, if you thought Sannoh was going to go anywhere this year with that imbecile Nakamura Yoshito as their captain," Aoba returned calmly, this time brushing past them.

"Best of luck to your team. You're going to need it. Especially if you want to go against us again," she mumbled, this time fully intending to leave.

Koga smirked, turning so he could continue speaking to Aoba even as she strode up the stairs leading out of the gym.

"We'll pay you back. Don't worry. Our teams can't seem to avoid each other, anyway."

She continued stalking off, ignoring his statement.

"Oh, and tell Noboru-chan we give our regards. We hope he feels better." His smirk widened, the words laced with mockery.

"He's even more fragile than his brother was."

Aoba stopped before reaching the top of the stairs. The atmosphere shifted, palpable with suppressed anger. It didn't stay bottled for long—Aoba whirled around, eyes alight with fury. She took a threatening step back down towards Koga, livid.

"You…!"

"Koga. Shut up."

Aoba paused and glanced over her shoulder, attempting to identify the authoritative voice that had put Koga in his place before she could. It was easy enough—at the top of the staircase stood another Meiho player. Aoba instantly recognized him: the buzzcut, the wiry build, the thin pair of metallic glasses that gave the young man a scholarly look.

Tamaki Hayato, captain of Meiho High's basketball team.

It was a shock enough to her to see Tamaki not only at the game, but also openly reprimanding his teammate. But even more stunning to Aoba was the person standing next to Tamaki…

"Maki-senpai!" Aoba gasped, any remaining anger dissolving to surprise. Maki, former captain of Kainan and MVP, was indeed also there, dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans. Aoba had never seen the other player outside of a business suit or a jersey, so the attire was surprising to her. Evidently he had been engaging in conversation with Tamaki before stumbling across the trio.

It took Maki a moment to recognize Aoba. But once realization reached him, he offered her a wide smile.

"Aoba-chan. It's been quite some time." His gaze floated to the notebook clutched in her left hand. "You're a manageress for a team again?"

"I…"

"I apologize for my teammate's poor behavior. It appears he still hasn't learned tact," Tamaki interrupted Aoba, his eyes narrowed dangerously at Koga. "We have nothing but respect for your team, Aoba-san. Despite the trash that comes out of Koga's mouth."

Koga had quieted upon the arrival of his captain, though he did not appear intimidated in Tamaki's presence. Koga shifted feet, looking uncomfortable that his insult had been overheard by his senior.

"Some fighting words are to be expected between rival teams," Aoba said hesitatingly, relaxing somewhat. Tamaki sighed, displeased.

"If only our team could follow Kainan's example of professionalism. We have too many idiot players that are hotheaded and full of themselves for no real reason."

"We have some characters like that," Maki consoled, a small smile playing at his lips. He turned his attention back to the only female amongst the group.

"So, Aoba-chan? What did you think of the game?"

Aoba glanced back towards the courts, thinking over the question for a moment. Though she did not owe Maki an honest answer, especially not with the other Meiho High players standing there, Aoba found herself wanting to answer the question if only to put her feelings into words. The teams that had just played were already gone and in their places were Ryonan and Hori High, doing warm-ups.

"Unexpected," she finally said, unable to come up with anything more.

"I thought you might say that. We were just talking about it, actually. Tamaki-san and I." Maki followed Aoba's line of sight, focusing his attention onto Ryonan High. "Shohoku is one of the most inconsistent teams I've ever played against. They can fall behind during a game in a most unbecoming fashion. Or they can play so well that you would think they could go against anyone and win."

"Kanagawa is still a strong basketball prefecture, even with the old standbys gone," Koga spoke up. He seemed to have noticed the direction that Aoba and Maki were staring off towards. "That Sendoh guy was all over the magazines even last year."

Maki, as if just noticing the other player's presence, studied him for a moment.

"Koga-san, was it?"

"Maki-senpai. A pleasure to see you again." Koga bowed, genuinely respectful. "I will never forget your brilliant plays against us."

"Yes," Maki said shortly. The taller player that had been standing next to Koga, silent and unmoving until now, also bowed.

"Hm. And who's this?" Maki nodded to the taller player, unable to place a name to the face.

"Goto Shingo," Koga and Tamaki introduced in unison. A look of surprise crossed Maki's normally serious visage, apparently having made some sort of connection.

"So this is Goto Shingo. I've heard about you. The media has already crowned you as being one of the best first-years in Japan, haven't they?"

"They're jumping the gun. He has a lot to learn," Tamaki interjected before Goto could confirm or deny the words, his harsh tone making it clear he had not said it in a show of modesty. "Hard worker, though. I'll grant him that much."

"Yeah. All he does is challenge us to one-on-ones after practice. So ridiculous!" Koga shrugged, a mocking smile surfacing. "It's not like he can beat any of us consistently."

"But he can certainly put you in your place," Tamaki said, words hard.

Koga's smile disappeared in a hurry.

"I should be going," Aoba said, biting back a chuckle. She was glad to see Tamaki cutting down Koga as she had intended and though she would have liked to see Koga sweat a bit more, Aoba felt that reporting her findings took priority. As she ascended the steps, Tamaki again offered her an apologetic look.

"Aoba-san. I assure you that Koga did not mean—"

"It's all right, Tamaki-senpai. We get enough of it from the media." Aoba's voice was flat and emotionless, making it clear there was nothing more to discuss. Tamaki nodded, stepping aside so Aoba could have easy access past him.

"Then I shall simply say that I hope for our teams to play again."

"Mm," Aoba agreed curtly, though for motives other than what Tamaki meant; despite her words, she would not forget, or forgive, what Koga had said.

And the only way to truly pay him back was on the court.

She made a bees-line towards the exit, but not before making sure to pause for a moment in front of Maki. Her voice was low, making sure the Meiho High players would not hear her.

"I might have some questions for you about the game just now."

"'Might?'"

Aoba brushed past the former Kainan star, their interaction so brief that no one else had noticed it.

"It'll depend on if they keep winning."


	67. Chapter 66

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Author's Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating this wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Reviews:**

Aznpikachu215 – Cool comparisons! And thanks a lot for reading!

Iron Duke – You are absolutely right, and the mounting pressure of the Nationals is something that only Mitsui has experience with because he's won a championship before. It'll be interesting to see how the other players deal with things if they keep winning.

Congrats on the new job! I hope you do get some time to ball (and kick butt)! Thanks for the review!

Martin F – Sorry to break expectations, but this one obviously took a bit longer. Got busy. Character development and character interaction are my absolute favorite things to write, too bad I don't get to do it as often as I'd like to.

Wow, a Kings fan! Yes, I'll always remember their playoff series against the Lakers—it was one of the most exciting matchups I ever saw. I still remember going into each game with baited breath and watching everything unfold with my pop. It was good times. The Kings are awful now and I really kind of blame Evans, like you mentioned. He has moments where he plays out-of-control basketball. With the Rockets out of the playoffs with our trainwreck ending of a season, I don't know where we go from here but I do plan to see how they change the roster.

Thanks for reviewing, for sticking with the fic., and I hope you're enjoying watching the playoffs!

Laziness Incarnate – The trick is to see every single sports manga cliché, remember how much you hate them, then wind up doing it yourself. HA HA HA, oh god why can't I write better.

No but in all seriousness it was great fun making up the new original characters and I'm glad you liked them. And Maki has always been a god.

You are absolutely correct! Aoba was talking about two different games. And yes, fouls and time-outs take away from game-time. In international basketball there are two 20 minute periods (halves), and in NBA basketball there are four 12 minute periods (quarters). In theory each game would only take the amount of time assigned, but because of timeouts and fouls and other little things games can stretch a lot longer than they're supposed to. This is why, if you watch NBA basketball, sportscasters are always groaning when a team is fouling too much because it means they have to cast for that much longer. It also really slows down the pace of the game, and basketball is one of the faster paced sports so it upsets certain fans.

Thank you so much for reviewing.

Nigel – I know, right? It was definitely my longest time-wise. Mostly because I'm a slow writer now. Why, back in my younger years…

EEK! Another ACL surgery? How'd it go? When are you going to be up and about again?

MirkoIta – Thank you for the review! As for your question, I honestly don't know how Inoue set up the brackets. In theory you're correct, but if you look at the matchups from Slam Dunk, there is no real logic behind the matchups because teams like Kainan didn't get a pass on games even though they went deep into the Nationals. So I'm assuming Inoue just set the brackets randomly, which is what I kind of did, but not really because I have to manipulate plot and stuff.

BulletsforValentine – Thank you so much for all your reviews! Glad to see you like the story!

Nathan – Lakers are looking good now, huh? I think they'll get past Denver just fine. What'd you think of MWP's elbow?

Speaking of Linsanity and New York, goodness! What a heartbreaker for them. Same with Chicago.

The new game will take a few chapters to get there because I finally get to do stuff with PLOT and CHARACTERS and all these other things I feel like I haven't done in forever. At least we have playoff basketball to tide us over! And thanks a lot for reviewing, my good man!

Ninguem – Thanks a lot for the review!

I'm sure I didn't write Jin as well as I should have. But as I mentioned before, I'm going back and re-editing chapters as time permits. I'm still going through the Ryonan one so it'll be a while before I get to Kainan. I'll re-assess when I get there, but I agree that Jin's shooting is elite yet everything else, particularly his athleticism, would and should be lower than Rukawa. If I recall correctly it's one of the reasons that Rukawa is able to score so many points on him as I wrote the game, because Jin just can't guard the guy. But again when I go back I'll try and write it so it's more apparent to the reader the strengths and weaknesses of Jin. And speaking of which, thanks for noticing that the earlier chapters were awful—I still feel some of them were just really amateurish and as I've been re-editing I'm surprised how much better I can write them up. I had ideas but not the ability to execute back then, and it feels good for me to go back and be able to write what I had envisioned.

I think the rebound counts for the Daiei High game are very low as well, but it's just because I don't keep track of those things during the writing itself because I want my writing process to be as natural as possible. I think if I start scripting stats then the games aren't going to be as fun to read because during my writing I'll start to force actions (i.e. telling myself "uh oh, Sakuragi needs 3 more rebounds better make him get them all right now!") rather than focusing on game flow and such.

The stats at the end are all accurate, so even if it appears that Ken rebounded more he only had 3 when I tallied all the stats at the end of the match. Ken was a great defender and good at boxing people out but I guess I didn't write him getting the rebound as much as I wanted to.

I'm happy that people recognize that my writing has improved—I plan to keep the pace up and hopefully by the end of the fic. my writing will be up to par for any reader. Thank you again for the review and for reading my story!

Amatzz23 – Aw, shucks! Thanks for the review!

* * *

**Chapter 66 – Afterwards**

"We've been sitting around way too long. And at some point, we're going to have to wake him up."

"Good luck. Even I know he beats up whoever interrupts his sleep."

"Yeah—speaking of that, didn't you get nailed a few times for trying something along those lines, Sakuragi?"

"That stupid fox is lucky I don't feel any of those pathetic fox bites. Commoners like you, Ryo-chin, just don't know how to handle him."

"Then you do it."

"I need certain tools to deal with a fox like that. Markers. Warm water. Ice cubes…"

"I don't even want to know. But if we stay any longer we're going to get kicked out of the lockers. There are more teams playing after us—"

"Haraguichi is running late. You guys have a bit longer."

Mitsui, Miyagi, and Sakuragi, as well as the rest of the Shohoku team, glanced towards the doorway of the stadium's locker room. Conversation had been abruptly interrupted by the sight of a familiar face:

Matsumaru, the Daiei High point guard casually tilting his chin upwards in greeting.

"Yo."

Miyagi stared for a long moment at his former basketball teammate, finding himself unable to reply. It was difficult finding the right thing to say to someone who you had just beaten, friend or not. Especially at these stakes; no one was looking for pity. And while Miyagi had intended to look for Matsumaru later, the Daiei High point guard's unexpected appearance left him at a loss for words.

Fortunately, Matsumaru seemed to sense the awkward atmosphere and continued speaking to fill the silence.

"Josei High chased us out a few minutes ago. Heard something was up with the Haraguichi bus. Probably won't even make it until a few minutes before gametime. Bad luck on their part."

"Is there anything wrong, Matsumaru?" Yasuda asked from nearby, cutting straight to the point.

"Just checking on your captain," Matsumaru shrugged, turning attention his attention to Ayako. The manageress had been watching the conversation unfold from a seat across from Miyagi, having just finished treating him.

"How's he looking? No one missed that little injury episode."

"Fine—" Miyagi tried to speak up before Ayako interrupted, shooting Miyagi a threatening glare for trying to play down the injury.

"He sprained his index finger. We _think_. I taped it up but really, he should be seeing a doctor and getting it looked at. It could be more serious than it is."

"I said I'm fine," Miyagi stubbornly repeated, holding up his injured right hand. Though nursing an ice pack and tape, he was able to curl his index finger just enough to demonstrate range of motion. Miyagi winced the entire while, clearly in pain performing the movement. "It's not at its best, but I can play through it."

"His dominant hand too," Ayako sighed heavily, getting upset just thinking about it. "At least Ryota won't be asked to be shooting as much as the others."

"It's not like he could shoot before, anyways," Mitsui said clearly. He didn't even bother to soften the words.

"Shut up, geezer," Miyagi mumbled, having expected the insult before it was even out of his vice-captain's mouth.

"Sprains will take weeks to heal," Matsumaru noted, his tone neutral. Miyagi gave Matsumaru a bitter smile.

"We don't have that kind of time, as you know."

Matsumaru returned the smile, agreeing.

"Got that right. Didn't think you'd just lie down and give up anyway, man."

"None of us did," an even, but nonetheless authoritative voice reverberated.

Matsumaru looked towards his side, but all he saw was a waist. Turning his vision upwards, he finally saw the face of the tall, bespectacled man. It was not someone familiar to him, but Miyagi was quick to recognize the newcomer.

"Hanagata," Miyagi identified, surprised. Hanagata met Miyagi's eyes, expression calm.

"Looks like everything is fine. Congratulations, all of you." With just those curt words Hanagata turned on his heel, preparing to leave.

"Hey, wait!" Miyagi called, stopping Hanagata in his tracks. However, Miyagi found himself unable to follow up with anything, having hailed Hanagata on instinct alone. While Miyagi fumbled over something to say, Mitsui easily picked up the conversation.

"Fujima sent you, I take it."

A chuckle managed to escape Hanagata's lips. "Those are some cold words. I came to check on all of you out of concern. We are Kanagawa supporters, first and foremost."

The skepticism didn't disappear from Mitsui's face. Nevertheless, he changed the subject. "It's been a very long time since we last saw you. I hear your college basketball team is doing well."

Miyagi shot Mitsui a look of surprise. "How did…?"

"You should be paying attention to these things. It's our last year, after all," Mitsui replied matter-of-factly, keeping his gaze leveled on Hanagata. The former Shoyo center had turned to face the Shohoku players again, Mitsui's question apparently enough to entice Hanagata into staying a few moments longer. "We have to think about which university we might go to. Even if we aren't actively recruited."

"Staying behind a year seems to be agreeing with you, Mitsui-san," Hanagata observed quietly. "Hasegawa would be very surprised to see your realistic attitude about your capabilities."

"I don't care what people think about me. I had some business to finish attending to."

"Conquering the nation." Hanagata nodded, partly understanding. However, his next words were out of character for the normally composed man: "I suppose you aren't as realistic as I had imagined."

Struck at Hanagata's bitter words, Miyagi tilted his head questioningly. "What do you mean by that?"

Seeming to recognize that he had said something he shouldn't have, Hanagata lowered his head somewhat in apology.

"What I meant to say was Japan is big. As is the world of basketball. You have to pick your battles." His tone was heavy, though Miyagi could only guess if the words were spoken out of personal experience, college or otherwise.

"I'll worry about myself," Mitsui snapped, authoritative. If any doubts had swelled from Hanagata's words, he didn't show it.

"So you're still playing basketball?" Kogure, who had been sitting silent all this time, was now the one to speak up.

And to change the direction of the increasingly combative conversation, no less. Miyagi wasn't surprised.

Hanagata didn't recognize Kogure at first, taking a moment to dig through his memories.

"I'm sorry. Kogure-san, was it? Yes," Hanagata continued upon seeing Kogure nod, "I play on the university basketball team."

"What school?"

"Tokai University. I am majoring in engineering."

"Oh!" Kogure sat up, excited. "Same here. Engineering, I mean."

"Figures both of the megane-kuns would be doing brainy work," Sakuragi grumbled to himself. Kogure scratched his nose embarrassedly, overhearing Sakuragi's words.

"Looks like Akagi rubbed off on me more than I had thought," Kogure smiled sheepishly.

"Suits you both," Ayako commented brightly, not glancing up as she busied herself with inventorying medical supplies. Kogure's smile widened.

"I think it does too."

"They're a good basketball team. Tokai, I mean," Mitsui said quietly. "You must be enjoying it."

"No, I'm not. I don't get to see the floor as much as I'd like." A pause. "There are a lot of things wrong with Japanese basketball."

Rukawa, who had previously been asleep, now had one eye open and was watching the conversation unfold with interest. No one noticed this, however—instead Yasuda was the next to speak.

"That's not true—"

"When was the last time Japanese basketball has qualified for the Olympics?" Matsumaru interjected, taking Hanagata's side.

"International basketball is just better," Yasuda managed, stating the obvious. Matsumaru leveled a serious glare at Yasuda, one that Miyagi had only seen rarely from his friend.

"And why is it so much better? It's because we're not a basketball country. Because we do stupid stuff like let seniority and politics and other bullshit dictate who gets to see the floor. Skill isn't placed first."

"One-on-one isn't how we play basketball," Miyagi countered, guessing the direction that Matsumaru's argument was going. "Better to have five compatible veteran players on the floor than just five good ones playing before their time."

"You of all people should know that's not true, man. How many times did people not let you play because you were a midget?"

If anyone other than Matsumaru had brought up his height, Miyagi would have likely decked the individual then and there. Miyagi narrowed his eyes angrily, doing his best to control the jab that his friend had taken at him.

"But anyone can join the basketball club. As long as you're good, you'll get minutes. Otherwise I wouldn't be here."

"That's what you think. My own captain had to endure nothing but crap last year, when he took the captain spot a year earlier than he should have. But you know what? He could play circles around most of our seniors even in his first year. If we didn't have to deal with the bullshit last year of letting some of those seniors play, if all of us could have gotten more minutes…" Matsumaru clenched his teeth, memories of Daiei High's defeat last year vivid in his mind. He took a breath, trying to calm himself.

"And let's not get started on team rosters, Miyagi. Because anyone can join the basketball club, you can't focus on player development. And we have basketball coaches that have never even played the sport in their life, trying to develop_ us_? During our most critical time as players?"

Hanagata, having fallen silent upon Matsumaru's outburst, lowered his head in thought. Memories he thought he had come to terms with came back—the plight of Shoyo without a coach, what Fujima had to give up to keep them all together. Though he had not met Matsumaru before this, it was clear that the challenges that Hanagata had faced were not unrecognized by others in the basketball world.

"Good basketball coaches are a luxury, yes," Hanagata managed quietly, agreeing.

"You transferred to Daiei High because of their ranking, didn't you?" Hiroshi, who had been sitting in the corner of the locker room away from the rest of the group, managed to rasp his words out loud enough to be heard. "What makes you any different?"

Matsumaru tilted his chin up, recognizing the rookie. "What do you mean?"

"There's a…" Hiroshi had a brief coughing fit before continuing. "There's a lot of things wrong with high school basketball. But then why didn't you stay at Shohoku?"

An audible pause hung in the air, the question unexpected.

And Miyagi knew exactly why Matsumaru couldn't say anything in return.

Shohoku, despite its lack of fame, seemed to possess some pieces that would rival those of the better basketball programs, even two years prior. A roster just big enough for the players to establish a camaraderie. An accomplished coach that understood his players. And talented rookies that regularly saw playing time.

All born of necessity, from a small no-name high school that didn't have a history of winning to take away focus from what mattered: basketball.

But was just playing basketball enough?

"It's gotten better," a calm, aged voice resonated, breaking into Miyagi's thoughts.

A chubby, comforting hand rested on Matsumaru's shoulder. Everyone's attention now focused on Anzai, who was shuffling into the room and had clearly heard enough of the conversation to offer some input. Matsumaru stepped away quickly, uneasy that the old coach was acting familiar with the former Shohoku recruit.

"Matsumaru-kun. It has been some time since we have spoken," Anzai said jovially, oblivious to Matsumaru's discomfort.

"Yes, Anzai-sensei. Thank you for—"

"You are a wonderful point guard. It would have been good if you had stayed with us," Anzai's tone was soft, understanding—which seemed to hurt Matsumaru all the more.

Anzai's gaze turned up to the much taller Hanagata, who likewise bowed in greeting.

"I haven't lost all contact with university basketball. Tokai University has great potential and a long history."

Hanagata nodded, his expression vague.

"Japanese basketball has gotten better," Anzai continued, looking across the sea of familiar faces in the locker room.

"And players like yourselves will make it better in the years to come."

Everyone fell into a deep silence, Anzai seeming content to conclude with those words. A heavy atmosphere dwelled over the lockers. Ayako, who had been quiet throughout the whole sequence, tugged on her baseball cap and cleared her throat to catch everyone's attention.

"Let's head out and get some rest, all right? It'll be another tough day tomorrow."

With little else to discuss the players solemnly packed up. Even the trouble making trio of Mitsui, Miyagi, and Sakuragi did not decide to harass the now-awake Rukawa any further. Matsumaru and Hanagata quietly bowed out, not bothering to stay or offer any farewells.

It was clear that, at least some players, were not satisfied with Anzai's answer.

* * *

Yasuda Yasaharu was one of those players.

Because he knew he wouldn't contribute to Japanese basketball for much longer.

Though it was late and the dim lights of the street basketball court made the rim nearly impossible to see, Yasuda charged right for the goal and laid the ball up and in. Muscle memory was enough to tell him where to put the basketball—the muffled swish of ball through net told him it was good.

Yasuda chased down the loose ball and dribbled to the top of the key again. Though he had only been playing for a while, the summer humidity had already squeezed the most sweat out of him since the team arrived at Hiroshima. He could barely make out the shape of the basket, but that wasn't important. He could imagine the game, the Shohoku players in front of him: dressed in their red away jerseys, their positions clear, easy to recall.

Sakuragi, fighting down low for position. Mitsui at the three-pointer line, hands itching for the ball. Hiroshi just inside the arc, setting screens and making sure the court was spread. And Rukawa, their ace, leaving his defenders stunned and streaking towards the basket like a crimson bullet—

Yasuda pushed the ball forward, his eyes wide-open. His first step was slow, he wasn't crouched low enough to prevent a nearby reach-in, and his dribble was held a bit farther than his body than it should be—but none of that registered. Yasuda fought his way to the basket and—

"Yasuda? Wow, is that you?"

Yasuda screeched to a halt, nearly losing the ball in the process. He glanced over his shoulder to see Miyagi, who had a surprised but nonetheless wide smile on his face.

"Hey," Yasuda greeted breathily. A second later he realized that Ayako was alongside the captain; Miyagi's interruption had been jarring enough to prevent him from immediately noticing her. That would have been no excuse on the court, though.

Miyagi strode up to meet his teammate, a hand (his uninjured hand, Yasuda silently noted) raised in greeting. The other finger of his injured hand was still bound in tape, the finger jutted so straight that it was clear that a splint was under there. "What are you doing out here? And where'd you find a ball?"

"Oh. Um, it's Rukawa's," Yasuda replied. "He still hasn't woken up since we got back."

"Unbelievable, that guy," Miyagi mumbled, shaking his head in disbelief. After lunch the players had retired to their rooms. Rukawa's fuel cells apparently needed far more recharging than any of the others.

"You should be resting too," Ayako added. "We have another game tomorrow against Katsura High."

"Yes," Yasuda agreed, glancing down at the ball in his hands. "Just feeling a bit restless."

Ayako tilted her head questioningly. Her beautiful curls brushed against a bare shoulder; she was dressed in a comfortable, oversized striped shirt due to the summer heat. "What about?"

Yasuda didn't immediately reply. There were actually a few reasons why he felt restless, most of which he couldn't vocalize even to these two. Instead he stared at the ball in his hands, which was dusty from pounding against the concrete. He would keep his thoughts to himself, he decided.

Yasuda had a role too. Not much on the court anymore, but off it.

"Thinking over Matsumaru's words, huh?" Miyagi guessed.

"A bit," Yasuda confirmed, absently giving the ball a bounce.

"Don't let it bother you. You know how he is. We've got—"

"It doesn't bother me," Yasuda interrupted, stopping Miyagi mid-sentence. He met Miyagi's eyes.

"I'm not going to play basketball after this anyway."

"Huh?"

Yasuda could scarcely believe the genuinely dumbfounded look on Miyagi's face. Of all people, Yasuda would have thought the one that had been playing with him the longest would have understood why he had said those words.

"I'm planning to go to a university to study history."

"That's wonderful," Ayako smiled encouragingly. Miyagi recovered, though he still looked more shaken than Yasuda had expected him to.

"Yeah. Heh. That's great news. That you know what you want to do, I mean. I always randomly filled in the 'long term goals' sheet that the teachers handed out."

"Figures," Ayako rolled her eyes. "Only basketball is on your brain."

And that, Yasuda knew, is why he could practice forever and never reach Miyagi. It was more than the talent.

Yasuda loved the game. Miyagi lived it.

"Is that what you're planning on doing, Miyagi?" Yasuda wondered aloud.

"What?"

"Basketball."

"Uh. Yeah," Miyagi answered matter-of-factly. His tone told Yasuda that there had been no reason to even ask the question, despite the earlier exchange in the lockers between Matsumaru and Hanagata. "If I'm not scouted I'm going to try my best to make a team somewhere."

"You will," Yasuda reassured him. He meant it with every part of his being. Miyagi studied Yasuda for a moment, having detected the sincerity of his words.

"Yeah. Thanks. Oh hey, that reminds me," Miyagi snapped his fingers as the thought entered his head. "Good thing I caught you. I was just talking with Aya-chan and we think it might be a good idea for you to get more minutes tomorrow."

"It was _my_ idea, in case you forgot," Ayako interrupted. Miyagi heaved a sigh.

"Look, I didn't want it to sound like I didn't want to—"

"Yasuda is your friend, Ryota."

Miyagi mulled over the words for far less time than Yasuda thought he would before nodding and setting his eyes upon the other third-year player.

"I'm not happy about it, as you can imagine. Aya-chan already told Anzai to control my minutes tomorrow, unless I show them that I can play without problems."

"You've been playing a lot of minutes anyway. It'll be good for you."

Miyagi cleared his throat, his expression obvious that he disagreed. But instead of complaining, he continued speaking to Yasuda.

"Anyway. I'm sorry, but you might have to play a bit more in the first half. Didn't want to surprise you with the news tomorrow right before the game or something."

Yasuda quashed the violent fluttering of nervousness in his stomach. It might have been better if Miyagi _had_ postponed announcing this.

But his words were steady. As was he. He remembered his role.

"You can count on me."

"Knew I could," Miyagi grinned. His voice suddenly filled with nostalgia. "We've been at this for a long time now, haven't we?"

Yasuda didn't reflect on Miyagi's words. It wasn't time to get emotional. It wasn't their time yet.

"Yeah."

"No early retirements for us, got it? Sixth Man of Shohoku?"

Yasuda managed a smile at that. "No. No early retirements."

Miyagi stretched, his own smile growing wider after seeing Yasuda's. "All right, I'm fired up. Toss the ball over here."

"Ryota!" Ayako's voice was full of alarm. Yasuda glanced between the two, an obvious question abruptly popping into his head.

"By the way. What are you two doing out here, anyway?"

If Yasuda didn't know any better, he would have believed he _heard_ Miyagi's muscles freeze.

"We just had dinner. We were taking a walk," Ayako said easily, stepping in for Miyagi's incoherence.

"Dinner? Just the two of you?"

"Yes."

"Huh," Yasuda nodded, deciding not to pry further. Instead Yasuda bounced the ball to Miyagi, who snapped out of his frozen state to deflect the pass from hitting his body with his good hand. In the next moment the ball was now a yo-yo on a string, floating easily between ground and palm.

"You shouldn't be encouraging him," Ayako stated sourly, her words selectively ignored by both players. Miyagi had a devil-may-care grin, confidence now exuding with the ball in his hands.

"All right. Make it, take it?"

"Up to 11."

"Don't expect me to go easy on you."

"I know your every move."

"Yeah? Well, I haven't shown you this one."

Miyagi dashed for the basket, using only his good left hand. It was an appropriate handicap for the game, Yasuda thought as he tried to stay in front of the fastest player he had ever seen.

Yasuda didn't breathe basketball, but as Miyagi spun and the ball moved between his legs like a dancing orb, he knew he would always love it, just the same.


	68. Chapter 67

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Author's Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating this wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

__**Chapter 67 - Aiwa High, One Year Later  
**

"I got it!"

Aoba leapt to her feet, completely oblivious to the odd looks she was getting from the other patrons of the inn. She held her arms in the air triumphantly, a pen in one hand and her notebook in the other.

"I got it! I can't believe that he really does that!" Without so much as a glance backwards, the manageress dashed out of the lobby and towards the guests' rooms, narrowly avoiding colliding into another guest. The television that she had been watching continued to emit sounds of sneakers against tile, basketball against hardwood, and screams from enthusiastic fans.

Upon reaching her target room, Aoba began to bang on the door without even the slightest sense of consideration for the occupants within.

"Noboru? Hey, Noboru? Are you in? I got big news!"

It took only a few seconds for the door to swing open, ceasing Aoba's barrage. A tall young man filled the doorway, the room behind him silent. His broad shoulders gave him the impression of being bigger than he was, but the way his sweater fell loose around his body made it clear that he was lankier than his initial appearance would suggest. His dark hair was in a buzzcut, bestowing a familiar monk-like appearance common among athletes. Despite the unexpected disturbance his demeanor was relaxed—upon the sight of Aoba he simply took a step to the side, leaving her room to squeeze through. A basketball was cradled in the crook of his right arm.

"Hey," Noboru said shortly in greeting. Aoba immediately pushed her way into the room, holding up her notebook.

"You won't guess what I just found out."

Noboru stared blankly after her, keeping one hand on the doorknob. "Someone is better or worse doing some action, by some percent, at a certain location on the court."

"No," Aoba rolled her eyes, stopping in place. She turned and waggled her notebook at him, clearly upset at his lack of enthusiasm. "Now listen carefully. Are you listening? Okay. I didn't believe it at first because there wasn't enough tape on it, but I got my hands on some game footage of Josei High against Yuki Tech. I finally have a large enough sample size to confirm my suspicions. Josei High's Takamura, when the team loses the lead at any point, runs an isolation play for himself 93.6% of the time!"

Noboru continued to stare blankly at her.

"Now ask me what they run the remaining percent of the time."

"What do they run the remaining percent of the time, Aoba-chan?"

"He turns it over. Can't pass for the life of him in those situations. I'm surprised Suzuki-sensei hasn't noticed this!"

"They don't fall behind often enough for anyone to notice."

Aoba shook her head. "Haraguichi gave them a bit of trouble today, interestingly. Josei High probably got confident because they beat them in the first round _last year_. They didn't factor in that Haraguichi making second round _this year _means they should be a better team, I bet. Josei High didn't pull the scores away until the last 7 minutes. 7 minutes 2 seconds, if I remember correctly."

Noboru gently closed the door, a small, amused smile on his face. "You never take a break, do you?"

"It's not work, what I do," Aoba returned, moving forward to poke the ball free from Noboru. With a smooth easiness, Noboru slackened his muscles just enough for the ball to fall towards the floor and out of Aoba's grasp. Just before it touched the ground Noboru gave the ball a gentle kick back upwards and easily plucked it out of the air, never directly looking at the ball itself during the entire sequence. The two shared smiles, used to their typical routine of trying to one-up the other.

"How did the other teams do today?" Noboru asked, cradling the ball against his hip again.

"You mean from the triple-header I went to? I saw Shohoku win it. I heard Ryonan won too. And I just told you about Josei. As for teams we might actually play? Sasaoka High, Seiho High, Rakuan High all won. Oh, Too High and Urayasu Shougyou. They ran over their opponents, from what the stats sheets tell me. Then there's Sansho, but I don't think they'll make it past the next round."

She paused. "I met some of the Meiho High players. They won too."

"How'd Kanayama do? And Naha?"

"Kanayama won. Naha lost. They were the ones playing Urayasu."

"Oh," Noboru replied, tone disappointed. "I was hoping the team would get to play against Naha again."

"No fairytales for them this year, I'm afraid," Aoba said shortly, flipping open her notebook. "Might be those two Kanagawa teams that get a miraculous run this year. Or Katsura High. They have my vote. Shohoku plays them tomorrow."

"We play winner?"

"Correct. I did plenty of research on Katsura High already. And I got some data on Shohoku today. Where was that page? Be useful and call up your brother so I can discuss things with him, will you?"

Noboru sighed, stepping over the two futons in the room as he headed for the room's landline phone.

"Here it is," Aoba mumbled to herself, falling easily into step after Noboru. As Noboru began the call, she leveled a curious glance at one of the futons in the room. While the other futon was bare, the one she had her eye on was stacked with loose papers filled with basketball plays and statistics.

"That all yours?"

Noboru followed her gaze, the earpiece pressed against one ear. "Right."

"Really?"

"You just might be rubbing off on me a bit," Noboru said easily, giving her another smile. She appeared pleased at his words, refocusing her attention on him. Finally noticing his attire, her expression quickly changed to a frown.

"Why do you have a sweater on? And socks? And long pants? It's hot tonight."

"Went running," Noboru replied absently as he dialed in a number. "I was just taking your advice about keeping my joints warm after exercise and what not."

"It's hot enough that you don't have to do that. And didn't I tell you to take it easy? We have another game tomorrow!"

"Need to stay sharp."

Noboru reared up, having finished inputting the call. They both fell silent for a moment as they waited for it to connect.

"How are your knees?" she abruptly asked, tone serious. Noboru gave her a look that made it clear he was in no mood to discuss the matter.

"They feel better."

"And how's—"

"Everything is fine, Aoba-chan," Noboru interrupted before she could get going. "Nothing that will stop me from playing tomorrow. You know th—hello? Hey, big bro?"

Aoba studied Noboru carefully as he continued to speak into the phone. Noboru was a very bad liar and there were many tendencies that he displayed when he did not tell the truth. The team was aware of most of them; Aoba, all of them. Satisfied that Noboru was not lying, she decided not to press the matter further. She would know tomorrow during the game, regardless.

"Fine. Everything is fine, the team made it okay. Yeah, we won today. Right." There was a brief pause. "Right. Anyway, Aoba-chan is actually the one that wanted to talk to you."

Noboru handed the phone off to the manageress and moved away, heading back towards his futon. Aoba was already making scribbles in her notebook as she pressed the phone between her shoulder and ear, beginning a new section that would be fully devoted to information that she got about Shohoku.

"Moroboshi-senpai. I have some questions."

"Aoba-chan. Of course," Moroboshi Dai replied, his tone warm.

"It's about Shohoku."

There was a brief pause. Moroboshi Dai, the former ace of Aiwa High's basketball team and recognized nationwide as the "Star of Aichi," was one of the few players outside of Kanagawa that had an opportunity to play against Shohoku.

"Go ahead."

"I saw a lot of zone defenses today. Do they normally—"

"Who were they playing?"

"Daiei High."

There was a small chuckle over the phone. "Wouldn't you have done the same thing, Aoba-chan?"

"No!" Aoba's grip tightened around her pen, upset about Moroboshi's presumption. "That couldn't be farther from the truth!"

"Oh?"

"You only play zone when Sorimachi Hiromu is on the floor. Any other time, and _especially _against their starters, you do box and one. This is why you guys need me here!" Aoba took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "But that's not what I'm asking. Does Shohoku normally play that type of defense?"

There was another pause on the other end as Moroboshi mulled over the question. "They sent some double teams after me when we played, but I don't remember seeing any zone at all. Didn't you see last year's tape?"

"I saw them doing almost entirely man-to-man, which didn't make sense to me because one of their players kept getting beat. You know, the one with the glasses."

"It was probably the best they could manage. I was at the Sannoh game so I have a good idea of what sort of adjustments they had to make. Rukawa had to play power forward after that redhead of theirs went down. Then they had to switch Rukawa on to me later on."

"It was a big mistake," Aoba commented, giving Noboru a sidelong glance as she talked. The other player was back at his futon, studying some of the stats sheets that Aoba had previously collected. "That's why Tanabe-senpai beat them to all the rebounds in the second half. They had no one to help that center of theirs."

"They lacked manpower," Moroboshi agreed. "I think a lot of us were worried about them after they beat Sannoh the day before, but the game was a lot easier than we thought. Although their coach… uh, Anzai?"

"Yes."

"Anzai really outcoached Ito-sensei," Moroboshi sighed heavily, remembering the game. "Ito-sensei was always so bad at keeping his cool. Has he gotten better since you got there?"

"He's out of control," Aoba frowned. "I'm relegated to player development. That's it. Player development. This is_ not_ what I joined the team for. And he doesn't listen to anything I have to say. He thinks all my suggestions don't make sense."

"They don't, though."

"You be quiet," Aoba shot back, even though she knew Moroboshi was joking. "Anyway, that Anzai of theirs did some weird things in today's game. Triangle and two when Sorimachi was on the floor."

There was another pause, this time the longest yet. "Wouldn't triangle and two be better than zone against him?"

"No," Aoba flipped back through her notebook, trying to find what she had written about Daiei High. "If you play zone, Sorimachi is nullified because his jumper still needs work. But if you play triangle and two, you—"

Aoba froze. Her mind raced, playing out the hypothetical situation.

"…Uh-huh," Moroboshi commented smugly, having sensed Aoba's realization.

"You not only keep him in check, but you have him fully marked even if he leaves any zone of defense. I… I can't believe I didn't realize that," Aoba mumbled, recovering long enough to add this bit of information to her notes. She tapped the bottom of her pen against her lips, now lost in thought. "I didn't think of it that much at the time. It really is the better move to make."

"Which is why I said you better watch out for that kind of stuff," Moroboshi cautioned. "I don't think Ito-sensei will be able to pick up on it. It might be up to you."

"But then man-to-man in the final stretch of the game. That was weird too. A box-and-one is definitely the best choice against their starters. I wonder why they decided to do that."

"Maybe it's what they're best at."

"Maybe," Aoba said absently, continuing to think over Anzai's strategy. After a few moments of silence she shook the thoughts from her head, refocusing on the task at hand.

"Anyway, I have some more questions—"

"Aoba-chan, I probably know less than you do," Moroboshi interrupted. During Aoba's silence Moroboshi had remained quiet as well, the basketball star being well-used to the manageress' eccentricities. "The only thing I really noticed was that their coach was good at adapting his gameplan. Everything else I could gather was just by eye. No one does all that data-crunching like you."

"It's not 'data-crunching.' You players are all so stupid when it comes to numbers that even some basic statistics throws you all off."

"Uh-huh." Aoba could hear Moroboshi's skepticism. "Anyway, did you ask Tanabe what he thought about Shohoku?"

"You know Tanabe."

"I do know Tanabe," Moroboshi agreed, a smile in his voice. "You shouldn't be so hard on him."

"He's late to everything. _Everything_."

"He should still have an opinion on the team. And-

"I'm not asking that guy anything that requires brainpower."

Moroboshi sighed, clearly not agreeing with Aoba's judgment on this case.

"Fine. Another good person you should ask is Maki. He used to play for Kainan High and that's in Kanagawa. He actually played Shohoku at full strength last year, I think. You remember Maki, right?"

"I met him today, actually." Aoba flipped a few pages in her notebook and circled Maki's name, having already listed him as someone to speak to on her to-do list. "I figured he would be the only other person to ask."

"You're right, because I don't know anyone else. You could ask someone from Sannoh, but they've never been generous with the information they have."

"They'll be begging all the other teams for information soon, if they keep losing every year," Aoba mumbled.

"Shohoku does seem to be the team that gives them the most problems. Oh by the way, sorry again that I can't come watch you guys play. I'm in charge of taking care of the first-years' practices this year."

"Tough at the university, is it?"

"Superintendent Karasawa is starting to ramp up recruitment again. I'm pretty sure Maki is at the Nationals partly for scouting reasons."

Aoba furrowed her brow, confused. "But he's just a first year, isn't he?"

"Right, but he has a good eye for talent." There was a rustle on the other end as Moroboshi talked to someone else—a female voice. Aoba frowned as she waited for Moroboshi to return to their conversation again.

"Anyway, I'm sorry I can't help more. Although I had a suspicion Shohoku would do well again this year. That Rukawa was really something."

"You were a great help to me. Thanks Moroboshi-senpai," Aoba said, more out of courtesy than anything. Moroboshi chuckled.

"If you guys can make the finals, I'll grab a ticket over no matter what. I'm sure a lot of first-years would be happy to check on their old schools again."

"Right."

"First time in Hiroshima, is it? I'll even buy you something nice as thanks."

Aoba felt her stomach clench in anxiety. "Ah."

"You should ask Noboru or Yamamoto to take you sight-seeing, too."

"Maybe."

"It's a good thing you decided on Aiwa High, though. I retired with complete peace of mind after I heard the news."

Aoba shifted her feet. She knew there was no reason to be uncomfortable from hearing his flattery, but she couldn't help herself.

"Well, I'll let you off. Good luck tomorrow."

"Yeah."

"Keep Noboru in line."

"Yamamoto will take care of that one."

"He would, wouldn't he?" Moroboshi laughed. Aoba chuckled as well, relaxing somewhat. "Call me if you need more help. Talk to you later, Aoba-chan."

Aoba hung the phone up, somewhat dazed. Noboru glanced up from his studying, squinting his eyes in the dim room to gauge Aoba's reaction.

"Your face looks weird."

Aoba snapped her notebook shut. "It's called a smile. You know what that is, right?"

Noboru showed her one, though it was more amused than anything. "You need to give up on my brother. He's still with his high-school girlfriend."

Aoba stiffened. "I gave up a long time ago."

"Whatever you say," Noboru said nonchalantly, returning to the notes.

Aoba was not pleased at his unconvinced demeanor. She strode up to him and snatched the papers out of his hands, making sure she had his full attention.

"I'll have you know that your brother's taste in women is pathetic, besides. I saw her before." Aoba sighed, recalling the irksome meeting.

"She has this annoying giggle which she does about 12 times per hour, extrapolated from my ten minute interaction with her. She told me 'you have nice hair' three times in a span of four minutes, probably because she didn't have anything nice to say about me. Even though she's about 13 cm taller than me, her shoulders slouch forward about 2.2 degrees from vertical. I can't confirm those figures precisely of course, but I'm sure you would agree I'm accurate within a standard deviation of 3 cm and 5 degrees respectively. I also followed them for another ten minutes after they left, where I clocked her walking speed at 4.1 km per hour even though your brother has a walking speed of about 5.4 km per hour at his most relaxed. She's definitely not an athlete, so I don't know what he sees in her."

Noboru gave Aoba a long, blank stare.

"You are really creepy sometimes."

"Enough out of you." Aoba grabbed Noboru's arm and gave a hard yank, flinging the notes she had taken away back onto his futon. "Up. Let's go look for Tanabe."

Noboru obediently got to his feet, allowing himself to be dragged out of his room. "I overheard you saying you didn't want anything to do with Tanabe-senpai."

"Well I don't have much choice. Your brother left me with very little to work with," Aoba complained, releasing Noboru from her grip so he could close the door to his room. "And tape on Shohoku is surprisingly limited this year. Maybe if I barter with that Aida Hikoichi from Ryonan…"

"Why are you so worked up about this?" Noboru asked as they walked down the hallways of the inn, Aoba leading the way. "We still have Josei High to worry about tomorrow."

"Because you never know if we'll have to play them. I know Katsura High well enough but I haven't done enough research on Shohoku," Aoba explained, slowing her pace so Noboru could catch up. Even though Noboru was a great deal taller than her, she was moving at such a frantic pace that he had almost been left out of normal speaking distance. "I know even less about this year's Kanayama High, so we can only hope that they don't advance too much further."

"You don't have to do this much research. You can't prepare for everything."

"I don't plan on—" Aoba's train of thought was abruptly broken by the sight of a tall shadow in the lobby. She quickly raised an arm in greeting as the duo advanced.

"Captain!"

The individual glanced over his shoulder, his eyes having been glued to the inn's television that Aoba had left on. The imposing figure's face could easily be described as grizzly, looking years older than his actual age would suggest. He had a noticeable beard that covered the lower half of his face, though rather than imparting an intimidating impression, coupled with his curly hair it gave him a disheveled aura more than anything. If not for the fact that he towered over everyone, no one would have been able to guess he was an athlete– his build was decidedly ordinary, slim but erring on the doughy, soft side.

"If it ain't the youngins," Yamamoto Joji growled in greeting, his deep voice gravely. "I suppose you both know that here's the part where you stand here quietly while I tell you why you should be in bed. And I won't be nice about it."

"But you won't," Aoba said easily, sidling up next to the Aiwa High captain. "You won't because it's me. Right?"

"Guess I'm a sucker for little kids," Yamamoto grunted, giving Aoba a dismissive pat on the head as if she was a child. He tilted his head towards Noboru without tearing his attention away from the manageress. "But junior over there doesn't get the same privileges you do. He has to get ready to play again tomorrow. Isn't that right?"

"Exactly," Aoba replied confidently, drawing an approving nod from Yamamoto.

"Glad to hear it." Yamamoto gave Noboru a glance out of the corner of his eye. "Dunno if I already said it, but you played well today junior. The rest before the Nationals did you good."

"You were all in great shape today," Aoba beamed, looking as proud as could be.

"That crazy training you put us through last week paid off." Yamamoto returned his attention to the television. On screen were the final few minutes of the Josei High and Yuki Tech game from yesterday's first round matches.

"But children need their sleep. Especially junior. Off with the both of you now."

"Have you seen Tanabe-senpai?" Aoba asked quickly, before Yamamoto decided to ignore her.

Yamamoto kept his focus on the game. "You just missed him. Saw him sneaking out a few minutes ago. Probably to get more 'authentic Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki,' as he phrases it."

"Why didn't you stop _him_?" Aoba complained in a huff, giving the taller boy an irritated poke to the shoulder. "He's allowed to just wander off and we're not?"

"I've given up on trying to change that guy a long time ago. Probably as soon as I saw him. Don't know how the old captain didn't wring his neck." Yamamoto gave Aoba a serious look. "He brought some news, though. Katsura High's Machida Shoji is injured. They're in for a very, very tough time against Shohoku."

"He's injured?" Aoba started, nearly dropping her notebook. Noboru considered the information with silence, not making any commitment either way. Yamamoto nodded.

"They found out after the game today. Stress fracture, right kneecap. He can't play through it."

"Right. His playing style definitely wouldn't allow it. My goodness, that is unexpected," Aoba breathed. Without wasting a moment she flipped through her notebook and pulled out a folded-up flyer that contained a schedule for the games occurring tomorrow. "It's a good thing I went to see Shohoku today, then. We'll be playing them again for sure now."

Yamamoto raised an eyebrow upon hearing the comment. "Counting Katsura High out already? You wouldn't shut up about them and Daiei High on the train yesterday."

"You're not?" Aoba traced a finger across the schedule, looking for the Shohoku-Katsura matchup. "Good, I think I can make that game. We're going to have to do as much research as possible on Shohoku, now."

"I said they're in for a very tough time, but it's not impossible," Yamamoto explained in his stern voice. "Sometimes you can't predict a basketball game. Injuries change chemistry. Not always for the worst."

"Talent matters, in case you forgot about that little fact." Aoba jotted the time down onto her to-do list before folding up the flyer again. "Those one-man teams always get crushed at some point or another in the Nationals. What I meant was that Katsura High would make Round of Eight this year. _If_ they had Shoji."

Yamamoto nodded towards Noboru, deciding to not directly pursue the argument with Aoba any further.

"You've been quiet, junior. Thoughts?"

Noboru's expression remained indifferent. "It doesn't matter. We just have to play our best and things will fall where they may."

"Well-spoken," Yamamoto replied, giving Aoba a look. "It would do well if the other youngin' here would learn you can't predict everything."

"Enough of this," Aoba said, seeming to detect that she was outnumbered on the issue. She shot Yamamoto a threatening glare. "Don't think you can change the subject, either. Captain, you're joining me tomorrow to watch Shohoku's match. Meet me at the gym's entrance 15 minutes before gametime at 9."

Yamamoto turned his back on her, electing to partake in the television again. "Take Tanabe on your crazy scouting sessions."

"As _captain _of the team you have a responsibility to uphold. That you didn't come watch the Daiei High game with me was bad enough!" Aoba continued, annoyed. At this, Yamamoto's shoulders drooped slightly.

"Too bad I didn't. It's a shame that they had to lose so early," Yamamoto agreed quietly. "I watched them play some last summer. Good group of kids. Wouldn't have minded going up against Tsuchiya myself."

After a brief, uncomfortable silence, Yamamoto gave Noboru a glower, restoring the atmosphere.

"Get to bed, junior. You too, girlie."

Noboru nodded obediently, sensing that Yamamoto's patience was at its limits. "Right, captain. Have a good night. You too, Aoba-chan. Want me to walk you to your room?"

"It's fine," Aoba said distractedly, moving towards the VCR of the television. "Need to grab my tapes. Be sure to look for Tanabe tomorrow morning. Try and make sure he's at the game on time."

"Got it." Noboru turned on his heel and headed back towards his room, leaving the captain and manageress behind.

There was another silence as Aoba stooped to a squatting position to shut the television off and eject the game tape. Yamamoto loomed behind her, continuing to stare at the now darkened screen. Aoba tolerated this, knowing that the captain sometimes had his moments of brooding as well.

"Tell me the truth. How's junior doing?" he asked out of nowhere.

Aoba stiffened. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. He wasn't the same today. Looked even slower than he did before he sprained his ankle."

Aoba didn't turn to see what sort of expression Yamamoto carried, instead deciding to fiddle some more with the VCR. She could hear the resigned disappointment in the bear-like captain's voice, regardless.

"It's the same ankle he rolled at the start of the season. He's healed, as far as I can tell. It's… psychological. Everything is psychological."

Yamamoto stared hard at her back.

"No. It isn't."

"I meant for today," Aoba clarified. Her head drooped. "And… I don't know. I can't tell anymore. He'll get over it, I think."

"Hn," Yamamoto grunted in response. Aoba wasn't sure whether he believed her or not. "At this point Ito-sensei might not give him any more chances. Komatsu is a lot more reliable than junior."

Aoba didn't even bother to pretend that she was still trying to eject the game tape. She simply kept her head lowered, deep in thought. Yamamoto sighed.

"Get some rest. You've been working hard," he stated shortly, making to leave.

"…Please let him play, captain."

Yamamoto stopped.

Aoba rose to her feet, turning so she could meet her senior's eyes.

"Please let him play tomorrow."

Yamamoto didn't flinch away from Aoba's genuine plea.

"That's not my call, girlie."

"He'll be better tomorrow. Please let him play," Aoba tried again.

"I said it's not my call."

"No, but Ito-sensei will listen to you more than he would me. Please just—"

"I said I don't get to make that decision!" Yamamoto shouted, his voice raising just enough to quiet the manageress. Aoba didn't back down however, her expression remaining resolute. There was a long, awkward pause between the two.

"'But because of the disappointing play of Moroboshi Noboru, projected chances of making it to the Round of Eight are low.'" Aoba recited the journal article from memory. A glint of recognition flashed in Yamamoto's eyes.

"Don't tell me you believe that trash."

"I don't know. It seems like you do."

Yamamoto took a threatening step towards the manageress. He dwarfed her easily yet the smaller girl only looked upwards, never wavering.

"All those numbers must have made you stupid, girlie," Yamamoto growled, uncomfortably far into her personal space. "If there's anyone on this team that has junior's back, it's me. And if you don't stop acting like you run this team, I'll see to it that you get sent back to Aichi tomorrow."

Aoba glared straight back, giving no ground. "If you believe in him, let him play."

"I don't control substitutions. That's Ito-sensei's job, in case you forgot. And _your_ job is player development. Don't act like you own this team."

Aoba's lip curled defiantly. "As manageress, it is my professional opinion that for Moroboshi Noboru to continue to develop, he needs more playing time on the court. _Captain._"

Yamamoto's anger dissipated upon hearing the sarcasm placed into his title. He took a step back, eyes full of disappointment. Aoba continued to stare him down as he sighed in frustration.

"It seems that you really are stupid as hell."

For a second Aoba felt a tinge of regret, realizing that her friendship with the captain was collapsing before her very eyes due to her own stubbornness. But she had been expecting this and now it was far too late to turn back.

That made Yamamoto's next words all the more a surprise to her:

"You don't trust me a single bit. Some teammates we are." Yamamoto's shoulders drooped, defeated.

Aoba felt her own muscles, as well as her resolve, slacken upon seeing Yamamoto give up. She didn't know that she had been so nervous.

"Sorry, captain. I didn't mean to—"

"No, it's all right. I got worked up for no reason," Yamamoto mumbled as he rubbed his face. With the heat of the moment over, Aoba could feel an embarrassed blush burning against her cheeks. Yamamoto had been the only one outside of the Moroboshi brothers to have taken her seriously when she first joined the team. That she had doubted him so thoroughly, been willing to give up her friendship with him just so Noboru could play, seemed extreme even to her now.

"No. I'm sorry, captain. I was out of line." Aoba bowed in apology. "I should have considered your position more."

Yamamoto's hand fell away from his face. "If this wasn't the Nationals, we could let him play to his heart's content. You know that."

"I do. I'm sorry."

Yamamoto studied her for a moment longer. "What brought this on, anyway? It's not like he's retiring after this. I'm the one that—"

"We don't know that," Aoba managed, straightening. Though her face betrayed no emotion, her voice was now heavy. "He should play while he can, with no regrets. He... if something like what happened to Shoji happened to him, if he has another freak injury at this point... I don't know. He might give up for good this time."

Yamamoto looked towards his feet. "Why didn't you tell me about this when I asked you?"

"I was telling the truth, though. He should be able to play." Aoba pulled out her notebook again, flipping to the section on Noboru's injuries. She offered the notebook to Yamamoto. "Only the knees are of immediate concern right now. But—"

Yamamoto pushed the notebook back towards her, refusing to look at the contents.

"Girlie, I've been playing basketball a long time now. I know a thing or two about injuries. I meant why didn't you tell me he was thinking of giving up?"

Aoba stared at him. "He's not. Not yet."

"Then stop jumping to conclusions. Junior has plenty of fight in him."

She slowly withdrew her arm and tucked her notebook away. Sensing that she was still skeptical, or at least not fully convinced, Yamamoto reared to his full height and cleared his throat.

"Aoba."

She looked up, attention caught. Yamamoto rarely addressed her directly, and always when he had something important to say to her.

"What I'm about to tell you, you better not tell anyone else, you hear me?"

She nodded.

"I'm serious. 'Captains can't show favoritism' and all that other trash."

She nodded again. Yamamoto sighed.

"Junior should be a better player than his brother. He_ deserves_ to be better."

Aoba's bottom lip quivered involuntarily, struck at the bare honesty of her senior's words. "You mean that, captain?"

"Maybe I went soft," Yamamoto continued, reflective. "I don't know. But I respect junior. He's never complained about his situation to me, not once. That thing about people growing through hardship, I believe it with him. And with all the setbacks he's had, I'm going to believe that he'll get his chance again."

Yamamoto stared hard at the manageress. "So don't think he's going to give up. He's not."

Aoba was silent for a long while, digesting Yamamoto's words. Finally she let past a small, shaky smile.

"I'm sorry for doubting you, captain."

"That's why you youngin's need to stop mouthing off to your elders," Yamamoto scowled, turning to leave. "You might learn something. That includes mouthing off to Ito-sensei, girlie."

Yamamoto strode off, his long legs carrying him off at a relaxed gait. Aoba bowed again to his retreating form.

"Good night, captain."

Yamamoto stopped in place, a thought coming to his head. He glanced over his shoulder, making sure that Aoba was paying attention to him as she straightened.

"I'm going to count on you to take care of junior. You're the only one that gets through to him."

Aoba shook her head. "That's not true. He always listens to you."

"It's different. He listens to me because he has to. He listens to you because he believes you. If you told him he could still dunk, he'd probably go right out there and give it another try, knees be damned."

Aoba tilted her head in confusion. "I have no idea why you think that."

"For such a smart girl, you really are stupid as hell sometimes."

"Excuse me? What does that mean?"

"Never mind. Get to bed, girlie. 15 minutes before the game, right?" Yamamoto strolled off, not waiting for Aoba's reply.

That night, Aoba had one of her most restful sleeps in quite some time.

* * *

_"**Aiwa High - B.  
**_

_The team has performed beyond expectations after the departure of Moroboshi Dai, managing to match their record-high in wins from last summer. But because of the disappointing play of Moroboshi Noboru, projected chances of making it to the Round of Eight are low."_


	69. Chapter 68

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Author's Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating this wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Reviews:**

Longest chapter yet.

You poor saps.

Dorawarrior – Thanks so much for reviewing! The injury bit is common for everyone that's played sports, and how injuries affect players and their development will be a theme for the upcoming arc, if it isn't evident already. I'm glad that you understand what I'm going for, and being able to talk to someone that understands basketball as well as you always makes me happier to write.

Ciel – Glad to hear you liked the chapter! Thank you for your kind words. I think I'm better about original characters than I used to be, and I'm glad that you enjoy Aiwa High. I have a lot of fun writing them. And thank you again for reading and reviewing!

Martin F – That's very interesting. I know Team Philippines is very strong in Asian basketball but I'm actually excited to hear that there's so many resources available for upcoming basketball players! Back when I was in high school some of the better players I played against were all Filipino and they were a lot of fun because they had so much passion on the court, though I remember that there were a few fistfights because they took the game so seriously. Good times. Allan Caidic was an amazing player to watch. What are your thoughts on the basketball scene in the Philippines? Nigel, another reviewer, mentioned things about some backdoor politics?

Right, there are many similarities and differences between Aoba and Ayako! Glad you picked up on them. But to add to this, all I'll say is first appearances for all these characters shouldn't be taken at face value. For example, Aoba pleading with Yamamoto to play Noboru by all accounts can be seen as "illogical" and based on "faith" rather than anything else. As the story continues my goal is really to illustrate things as being not black and white like it is in some sports manga, mostly because as you know basketball itself and the decisions players and teams make cannot be said to be clearly black and white. Inoue managed to do this beautifully by attaching enough realism into his work with Shohoku's heartbreaking losses, all the troubles the team had in their pasts, and the way he ended the series. I obviously cannot compare so I consider myself lucky to be in a medium where I can convey some nuances to the reader outright; it takes less talent and execution to do it that way.

You are correct—though it has not been clearly stated, it was implied that in my fiction Meiho High won the championship against Kainan High in last year's summer Nationals.

Laziness Incarnate – Thanks a lot for reviewing again!

I wasn't as good at doing research before—definitely didn't do enough homework when I first started the fic. I've been better about it lately. You're a good influence on me.

Very interesting about the club thing! I knew that they practiced a lot but I didn't know it was to that extent. Really makes me wonder how they could put so much work and heart into the sport but still underachieve on an international level. Maybe it's resources at the professional scale? At least for basketball, I do know that Japan is not really a basketball country and the availability of street courts is incredibly limited. But your insight totally puts the shounen manga sport thing into better perspective for me.

Writing Slam Dunk romance is one of the things I don't really look forward to doing because Inoue didn't leave us a lot to work with, so if I want to be consistent it gets tough. At least with my OCs, I find myself kind of enjoying the writing process for Noboru's crush on Aoba more because I have freedom. Noboru's crush on Aoba is really understated because he's very unlike Sakuragi and Miyagi when it comes to being around the female creature, and I think if Yamamoto doesn't outright mention it at the end, characters in the fic. and readers would think they're just very good friends. I don't blame Aoba for not picking up on it.

Even the name thing isn't escaping your eyes. Gah. But it's okay, I've turned in my resignation form for trying to out-detail you a while back.

KoiGirlPGSM – Great! Thanks for reviewing!

Crudy – A new reader! Thank you so much for reviewing and for reading my fiction!

The Kaede line is a mistake, one of many, and I'll go back to re-edit it in the future. I have numerous instances of confusing family names and surnames, as well as misspelling some of the Slam Dunk characters' names, earlier in the fiction. Other have noted this before and I will most certainly change it. Thank you for noticing!

Oh boy, Sawakita. I suppose this isn't the worst time to talk a bit about my thoughts on his character, though it would be interesting to hear any of my other readers' thoughts on the guy. Anyway…

I do not agree with your assessment of Sawakita, only because you would have to think of his evolution after Sannoh's loss. Sawakita had an upbringing that made him very cocky, largely because he had won a great deal. I think Inoue makes it a point to show that while Sawakita is the best offensive wing player in Slam Dunk, he has character traits that both drive him to be a great player but also are his shortcoming. Yes he is self-confident—but it really does border on arrogance at times, which is completely okay because a lot of star basketball players behave as such. And yes he is nice off the court, like many players are, but on it basketball players' behave differently and most of them make it a point to get under their opponent's skin. Sawakita was no exception to this rule, as you saw in the manga.

In my mind if Sawakita did go America, I don't think he could fully forget Rukawa. And this is because of the character traits that were outlined by Inoue: he loves challenges. Rukawa is one such challenge. The final panel showing the reaction of Sannoh players after their loss to Shohoku—Sawakita is the only one to look pissed off the entire time. And that's because despite his best efforts, his team lost in the end. And in addition to that, Rukawa was now one of the few players that had begun to break into his tier-level of skill and talent. Any player with any ego would feel threatened, or at least upset, to have this be your final high-school basketball memory. Now do I think Sawakita would seriously come back to Sannoh JUST to play Rukawa again? No, of course I don't—but this is fiction and I wanted to let Sannoh have a familiar face for the readers. Plus it was fun for me to write him!

So if he did have to come back to play Rukawa again, and if he did go to America, then it would make sense to me that he would remember his defeat at Rukawa's hands. And if he did go to America, everything aside, American basketball is still dominant globally. So Sawakita would have gotten his butt kicked a lot on the court and been discriminated off it. But again, this is where Sawakita shines—he very likely would have gotten better, a lot better, enough for him to know that Japanese players in general weren't strong. If you remember Sawakita's past, when he beat his seniors at basketball and got beat up, his only words to them were how boring basketball was because he had no real opponents. That's all Sawakita cares about, is to have fun and challenging basketball. With Rukawa performing poorly, it would be completely understandable that he would trash-talk his former opponent a lot, partly out of disappointment, but also to motivate Rukawa to be a challenge to him again.

These are all things that I think define Sawakita—he has all the makings of a star player, but one that is still young and inexperienced. Rukawa is both similar and different to this, and I plan to expand on Rukawa in future chapters.

Again, thank you so much for reviewing! Sorry for my long response. I hope that you stick around and I hope I can write stories you can enjoy.

Eugene – Firstly, thank you so much for reading and reviewing this. I'm always very happy to have another reader, particularly one that understands basketball!

The thing about the long matches is one I've struggled with. Admittedly it wasn't a problem for me until after I wrote the Kainan match, but you sort of hit the nail on the head—I started to really struggle with plotting out each and every basketball play. And a huge problem really is my own capabilities as a writer and a basketball enthusiast, and that is I am a) not good at planning out effective transitions in the middle of the basketball game and b) as a fan I like watching entire games. This results in a huge burden for the reader, and like you said, I can understand that it gets repetitive. At certain points I do small transitions of a few points, but I don't do large gaps like you're suggesting. The fiction is far enough along and the stakes are so high in the matches that I don't plan on adopting a "less is more" approach unless I feel like I can do it well, but that is definitely one of the things I regret not setting up earlier because I think some of the scenes that I felt should be really important during the match might not be conveyed to the reader as being AS important as I want them to be.

You mentioned a lot of problems, particularly the Ryonan match and Sendoh going off and playing a perfect shooting game. I agree with all of them except for the teams shooting above 50%, only because it was very evident that was happening in the Slam Dunk manga and that sort of thing happens in all manga in general so I never planned on making it so realistic that I don't do those things. Anyway, as for the perfect shooting game… it was early on in the fic. and I was a bad writer, even worse than I am now. Bluntly put I didn't keep track of Sendoh's scoring until I tallied at the end, and realized I had made him have a perfect game. It's another one of my regrets, not having really mapped out everything I wanted to do at the time. As I've been going back to re-edit my earlier chapters for grammar and adding details to character interactions, one of the first things I thought of was whether or not I wanted to change certain plot points I messed up on, including Sendoh's perfect game. In the end I decided against it only because I don't want people that have trudged through my fic. be forced to go back to older chapters and re-reading them if they don't want to, but if I could go back in time and do it again I would definitely have done a better job from the get-go. Typical writer mentality, I suppose.

The media recognizing Sendoh in Kanagawa is a point I will add when I wrap-up re-editing the early chapters and I had intended to do that when I got around to those chapters, so thank you. And thank you again for reading my work!

Nigel – Really glad to hear from you! Bummer about your surgery and losing the PG spot, but good news that you're recovering and that you'll be able to play again! I'm so envious that you get to coach the kids and it's awesome that they're doing so well! I hope you guys keep on winning! I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on Filipino basketball also.

Kazema – Thank you so much for your review! By the time you reach this point I guess you'll be tired of my writing, but I do want to say that I recognize you—I read your "Sweet Revenge" story years ago and I'm glad that a fellow veteran author has decided to pick up my fic.! I'm very flattered that you enjoy my writing and I hope you like my story.

* * *

**Chapter 68 – Ayako**

Basketball was not Ayako's first love.

No one would believe it now, of course. Especially if they saw her silently watching two basketball idiots go one-on-one on a blazing hot summer evening. It was getting far too late for Miyagi and Yasuda to be playing but Ayako still didn't stop them.

Because she knew the sport now. Or rather, she knew what the sport meant to anyone that played it.

The two point guards showed no signs of slowing down—in fact, the impromptu one-on-one seemed to only be growing in intensity. While the scores were 8-3 in Miyagi's favor, Yasuda had played solid defense against the Shohoku captain. Though part of this was due to the fact that Miyagi was relying almost entirely on his left hand to play, Ayako knew that Yasuda's familiarity with Miyagi's bag of tricks gave him an edge that few opposing players would have.

Ayako could guess the match would end in only one way, handicap or no, but she was nonetheless pleasantly surprised to see Yasuda's comfort in a one-on-one scenario. Likely because he knew his opponent, but undoubtedly Yasuda must have had some of Miyagi's influence in their middle-school years.

As she watched Miyagi size up Yasuda, the outside world no longer even registering to the two, Ayako abruptly realized that it wouldn't be a bad idea to buy them some drinks. It _was _a hot summer night and if one of them were to have a muscle cramp or something similar from dehydration she would be a _really_ bad manageress. After a few more seconds of study she tore her gaze away and strode off, remembering that she had passed a vending machine nearby.

The street courts were a bit of ways from the main city streets, tucked behind a public running track. Ayako and Miyagi had been fortunate to stumble across the court—it was certainly in a location that would only be known by locals or dedicated basketball enthusiasts. She picked up her pace, partly out of concern that she was walking alone in an area that she was not familiar with, but mostly because she hoped to get back to the scrimmage as soon as she could.

Who knows? Yasuda could win. Things were hard to predict these days. On the court and off.

This year things had been changing exceptionally fast, at a pace she was unsure she could keep up with. She certainly felt more scatter-brained and sentimental than usual. Coming to terms with the knowledge that her time with a group of idiot boys was drawing to a close was a large part of it.

And her relationship with one particularly idiotic boy could be lasting a bit longer than she had anticipated. That had some role, too.

She found the vending machines with little trouble, their unnatural lights glowing at the entrance of the running track. She patted around her short's pockets, feeling for her coin purse as she scanned the beverage choices.

No Pocari Sweat available. Obviously any of those other sugary drinks wouldn't do. Aquarius it was to be, then.

She fed her money into the machine and there was a dull_ thunk_ as it spit out her selected two drinks. Ayako stooped low and felt around inside the slot for the bottles. The drinks were cold to the touch and when she grasped them in her hands, she couldn't help but feel a bit of relief from the hot summer night.

She straightened, lost in thought.

Things had changed, all right. She had changed. After all, just a few years ago she wouldn't have even considered basketball, or sports of any kind, to be worth her time.

* * *

Basketball was not Ayako's first love.

Calligraphy was.

She fell in love as soon as she held a brush during her elementary school penmanship classes. It was the combination of boldness and grace that attracted her, she supposed. Calligraphy was unlike any other art form that Ayako knew of and she believed it was the most significant and elevated means of self-expression. Words alone had power—the knowledge that she could impart another dimension to them that was uniquely hers was magical. The process alone entranced her: the precise twisting of her calligraphy brush, the detached flowing movements of her limbs, the calmness of her being while she worked. Each character drawn, each careful stroke, emptied her mind. Left in her wake would always be her emotions on an unsoiled canvas, unambiguous and direct.

Calligraphy, undoubtedly, was Ayako's first love. Her greatest love.

Baseball could be called her second love.

Except she didn't love baseball.

Tomigaoka Middle School was known for was their baseball team. Every year it seemed Tomigaoka would have a small handful of star baseball players, enough to have a legitimate chance of conquering the nation. While the team had yet to win everything, they had fought to the finals a number of times at multiple tournaments even before Ayako had started middle school. Some of the alumni even appeared at the prestigious Spring Koshien and went on to become professional baseball players.

Ayako knew, but didn't care, about these things.

It was impossible _not_ to know. The obsession with baseball was a nationwide epidemic. Her parents were ardent baseball fans themselves. And she knew that her ambivalence to sports disappointed them, made her a difficult daughter to get along with. Even when she tried her best to watch the occasional Nippon Professional Baseball games to please them, she never felt a real connection with the sport. The occasional judging glances her father snuck towards her, to gauge her reactions to what he thought were amazing plays, never went unnoticed on her part.

Watching baseball, or any kind of sport, made little sense to Ayako. There was nothing productive about watching because she was never fully engaged. She enjoyed _things_ about watching sports with others– the socialization, the camaraderie. But in the end she would rather spend the time actually _doing_ her own hobbies. How the Yomiuri Giants were performing that season, who was on their roster, things like that… none of it mattered, really. Why did everyone care so much? She knew for a fact her mother had never even _played _baseball.

So no one was more surprised than Ayako herself when she became manageress for Tomigaoka's baseball club.

It wasn't that simple, of course. She was one of four manageresses for the baseball team and being there was not of her own volition. At the time, Ayako had her eye on the calligraphy club but had been unable to fully commit. It was not that she didn't want to share her interests with like-minded people; no, what she was concerned about was the calligraphy club's own district competitions. The thought of being judged on something she held so dear and personal… frightened her, in a way. And her long-time neighbor Nakano, a year her senior, was already a manageress of Tomigaoka's esteemed baseball team and had been the one to invite her to join. Turning her neighbor down would have been a sticky situation in of itself, for various reasons.

In the end she accepted the offer. Ayako still sometimes wondered whose bright idea that was, to recommend the spot to_ her_, of all people.

Then again, the faux-surprise her parents had shown her when she announced the news to them narrowed the list of culprits considerably.

Nonetheless, as the most junior manageress her jobs were unglamorous. Washing uniforms (Ayako had almost quit on the spot after first encountering the horrors of the sweaty, dirt-streaked uniforms. It was the collective stench, that was what did it), equipment inventory, occasionally helping the other manageresses with the club budget and administrative duties… nothing changed her perception of the sport. Everyday was just menial labor and stretches of complete boredom, watching the baseball players run around aimlessly across the field. She never felt like she was accomplishing anything.

Years later, Ayako would wish she had cared even a bit more so she could have some sort of wonderful memory to share with others about her time as a baseball manageress for a legitimately respected team. But to her, there was nothing but routine. Her role was that of a complete outsider and it stayed that way even as she grew in seniority. By her second year all Ayako could feel happy about was that a new first-year manageress joined so she didn't have to wash as many uniforms anymore.

She hid her disinterest as best she could. Her parents had attended nearly every game after Ayako became manageress. Following every loss her father would offer Ayako advice to pass along to the players and she would smile and promise to do so. Her mother would always remind her that captain Sanada was so very dashing and he looked so much more mature now that he was the leader of the team, he had been so quiet last year. Ayako would have to constantly think of ways to maneuver out of that particular trap, if only to spare her mother the heartbreak. All the boys on the team thought Ayako was too frosty, besides.

On one unspectacular summer morning, while Ayako sat in the dugout and daydreamed about doing anything else but watching batting practice and listening to Sanada scream at a first-year for the umpteenth time, Nakano sidled up to her and asked if she wanted to watch a basketball match later that day.

"Basketball?"

"Yes," Nakano said, jotting down some notes on her clipboard as she spoke. "If our basketball team wins today they qualify for the playoffs. It'll be their first time in over a decade. It's a big game!"

"Hm," Ayako replied indifferently.

Watching _more_ sports things. Wonderful.

"Have some pride for our school, won't you?" Nakano sighed, having anticipated Ayako's tepid response. "When we qualified last week you didn't even go celebrate with us."

"I was busy," Ayako answered vaguely. She rested her chin on the palm of one hand and leaned forward, keeping closer attention on her group of players now that Sanada had wandered off. The baseball club had grown so large that the manageresses had to watch separate areas of the field to make sure everyone was practicing as they should. Sanada and the vice-captain could only monitor so many people, after all.

"You're never going to get a boyfriend like that, Ayako."

"Right. Because I have _so_ many admirers in the club."

"I'm sure there are a few," Nakano said, as if Ayako cared. "But that aside, just let the others know that you care."

"I do care. Just the other day I helped stitch up Kimura's glove."

"I meant when they're practicing and when they're in a game. Cheer for them. Encourage them. Okay?"

This was not the first time Ayako had to hear Nakano's opinion about boosting team morale. If Ayako had not been such a responsible manageress, she knew that Nakano would have been forced to chase her out of the club long ago. She was too unlike the other manageresses, who teemed with pride and eagerness while doing their tasks. In fact, the new first-year manageress seemed to _like _washing the uniforms, that crazy girl.

"Sure." Ayako cupped her free hand at the corner of her mouth. "Nakajima! Keep it up!"

"Ayako, Nakajima isn't even here today."

"He needs my encouragement the most, then."

Nakano lifted her head up from her clipboard to give Ayako an icy glare. "If you don't want to be here—"

"I'll go watch the basketball game with you."

Nakano wasn't so easily distracted. "If you don't want to be here today, I'll cover your side. But I meant what I said."

Ayako adjusted her baseball cap and brushed some loose curls from her vision. The baseball cap had been her only solution to protect her hair from the dust and unrelenting summer sun. It was one of the few things she felt she had gained from being a manageress—realizing that the baseball cap look actually suited her well. "Sorry. I'll try my best."

"I don't have to worry about you not _trying_ hard enough. But you need to relate to with the players," Nakano continued, refusing to drop the subject. Ayako listened half-heartedly, all the while thinking how much bossier Nakano was now that she was the head manageress. "We have to be people they can rely on, Ayako. I hope you remember that."

Ayako nodded and sensed Nakano relax beside her. There was another crack of bat against ball from the field.

Nakano returned to her scribbles and Ayako returned to being bored.

No matter how much Nakano tried to convince her to get attached to the game, Ayako couldn't. Her duties were an obligation, not a choice.

Anyone could do what she did. This wasn't like calligraphy, where everything she produced was uniquely her own. The skills she learned from the baseball team, at best, let her talk about the sport competently with other people. Everything else had been things that she already knew how to do.

There was simply nothing to get excited about. Ayako wasn't needed here. Not really.

"The basketball game starts the same time as afternoon practice," Nakano spoke up, snapping Ayako out of her daze. "Captain Sanada wanted the seniors to have a lighter practice today, which means we won't have to stay the entire time. We'll go watch the basketball game right after. Okay?"

"Okay," Ayako confirmed, regretting that she had agreed to it in the first place. She fanned herself with one of the paper fans her father had thoughtfully given her. It was another worthwhile thing she had discovered during her time as manageress—the paper fan had many uses, sometimes that being just to keep herself cool.

Nakano capped her pen and rose, satisfied.

"I know it gets boring sometimes," Nakano started. Ayako caught herself just before she rolled her eyes in distaste, having to listen to more of Nakano's advice. This would have been one of the instances when one of the paper fan's other uses, namely as a weapon, would have come in handy. "But we're making a difference. The boys are trying their hardest out there and we should equal that enthusiasm."

"Yes," Ayako agreed, keeping her voice even. Nakano nodded and stepped out of the dugout, likely to pass off whatever notes she had been taking to Sanada.

"Hey, Nakano-senpai."

Nakano turned. "Yes, Ayako?"

"Do you ever get…," Ayako searched for the least offensive way to ask the question. "Don't you want to do something more?"

"Hm?"

"Not just paperwork or keeping score…"

"What, you mean like offer the players baseball advice?"

"I don't know. Sure."

Nakano chuckled. "We have so many members, Ayako. That's just unrealistic. Besides, a lot of them have played the sport since they were little. Isn't it better to learn from their seniors?"

Ayako frowned. "But… just because someone is good at the sport doesn't mean they're a good teacher. Or leader."

"That's silly, Ayako. And no, I've never wanted to do more." Nakano held her clipboard to her chest, heaving a contented sigh. "I'm so happy to just be here. We watch all these great games for free and get to know all these players. Being a part of all this… it's amazing."

Ayako fell silent again. Nakano took her silence as agreement and flashed Ayako a bright smile.

"I'll leave you to your work. I want to hear your cheers from across the field!" Nakano strode away.

Ayako watched Nakano's form head in a bee-line towards Sanada. The other players continued their practice, none of them paying Nakano any heed. When Nakano finally reached Sanada and offered him some slips of paper, he signed them without so much as a glance before irritably shooing her away. Nakano smiled the entire while.

Ayako set her fan at her side.

She wondered what Nakano meant, about being a part of something. Here Ayako felt as if she was that one incorrect stroke in a kanji character, unconnected and unable to truly belong.

* * *

"Hey. Is that Ayako?"

"I don't know. Looks like her. Ayako? Hey, Ayako!"

Ayako glanced over her shoulder and saw a small gang of men approaching her. For a brief second she felt threatened, but upon closer inspection…

"Mitsui-senpai?" Ayako started. Indeed, it was the senior member of the team that had hailed her. Next to him were very familiar faces: Sakuragi and his trouble-making foursome of friends. And the lone individual that matched the height of the towering redhead was Hiroshi hovering towards the back of the gang.

"Ayako-san! What are you doing out here?" Sakuragi called as the group strode forward. Nosy as always, Sakuragi was.

Sakuragi was the first to reach her, his voice anxious. "Why are you alone? You should have let one of us know!"

Well, he had some good points.

"I'm not alone. I'm here with Yasuda-senpai and Ryota," Ayako answered, holding up the two drinks in her hands to emphasize her point.

Youhei joined his leader, nodding in agreement with Sakuragi's words. "Are you guys out for some basketball too? The courts are a bit of ways from here and it's dark. You should have told one of the Army to escort you."

"I appreciate the thought boys," Ayako smiled. Now that Mitsui had joined them, Ayako could make out a tattered basketball resting against the senior's hip. "So I take it you're all here for basketball?"

"Not all of us. Just this guy," Mitsui frowned as he abruptly slapped Sakuragi's upside the head, visibly irritated. "He decided to drag all of us out."

"What for?"

"Beats the hell out of me."

Ayako looked towards the redhead questioningly. Sakuragi stuck his arms into his shorts, a smoking welt already on top of his head.

"There's a game tomorrow, Sakuragi. You should all be getting some rest," Ayako said tolerantly. Sakuragi sniffled, shooting Mitsui a sidelong glance.

"This Tensai doesn't need rest. I just wanted Micchi to teach me something."

"What? What do I need to teach you?" Mitsui asked, cross.

"Passing out of a double-team," Hiroshi spoke for the first time. "My idea."

Ayako gave Hiroshi a quick up-and-down, having detected a rasp still in his voice.

"Hiroshi, how are you feeling?" Ayako asked in concern, gauging the rookie's condition carefully.

"Better," Hiroshi said shortly, avoiding Ayako's prodding gaze. He was clearly out of sorts and uncomfortable at Ayako's questioning, leading Ayako to suspect that he was pushing himself. He had never been the type to take care of himself; Ayako's first impression of him had been spot on.

Ayako sighed. "Hiroshi, you know better than—"

"There would have been scouts at today's game. To watch us," Hiroshi continued, interrupting Ayako. Ayako fell silent, knowing that when the normally reserved Hiroshi felt he had something important to say, chances were it was worth hearing. "Sakuragi-senpai's played well two games in a row. At some point they'll send doubles at him."

"I don't think he's that good yet, Hiroshi," Mitsui interjected, clearly not placing as much faith in his student's game as Hiroshi was. And Ayako knew that even though most people (including herself) had frequently underestimated the redhead, Mitsui's experience meant his word was to be trusted.

But Sakuragi did defy logic.

Hiroshi seemed to follow Ayako's train of thought. "If we keep giving him the ball, they'll double at some point. Even if it's just to force the ball out. Rukawa-senpai had triple teams today already."

"Triple-teams? That fox?" Sakuragi puffed his chest out defiantly. "That fox was lucky to even beat me in scoring today! Next game there will be quadruple-teams to defend me! Then… uh… er…"

"The word you're looking for is 'quintuple.' And there won't be more than that, there's only five opposing players on the court," Mitsui commented dryly.

"I know that much!"

Mitsui sighed. "You should have just asked Miyagi to teach you. Being captain means he likes the whole teaching thing."

"Micchi is my teacher," Sakuragi answered simply. The straightforward innocence in those words made Ayako smile. Even Mitsui seemed a bit taken aback at the statement, scratching the back of his head to look as if he was displeased to hear it. Ayako knew that Mitsui had a soft spot for others that genuinely loved basketball. They all did, basketball idiots that they were.

"Fine. Whatever. Let's just get this over with," Mitsui scowled, beginning his slow saunter for the street courts. Ayako bit back a giggle and fell into step behind Mitsui.

While Sakuragi and his friends started up a ruckus with their jokes and random conversation, as the group continued walking Mitsui stayed silent the entire while. Brooding, almost.

Ayako knew that these Nationals had the extra pressure of essentially deciding Mitsui's fate after high school. The locker conversation after today's game, about what lay after for these boys, seemed to have had an effect on all of them. Seeing Yasuda behave the way he did convinced Ayako of that. Despite Mitsui's defiance towards Hanagata, he must have felt something.

Because as much as everyone pretended to forget, Ayako remembered Mitsui's tear-streaked face and pain-filled voice telling Anzai-sensei he wanted to play basketball again. The sport was as much a part of Mitsui as it was to any of the others. Maybe even more.

"How's your condition, Mitsui-senpai?" Ayako asked, trying to fill the silence.

"I'm okay."

"Guarding Toshiya must have been tough."

"He was tricky. But more importantly, isn't it irresponsible for Miyagi and Yasuda to be out playing basketball? Miss manageress?" Mitsui asked, a rare smile in his voice.

"I told you all that we have a game tomorrow. If even the captain won't set the example, what am I supposed to do? Vice-captain?" Ayako replied lightly, knowing that would be enough to let Mitsui know that she had tried.

Mitsui chuckled softly, understanding. After a quick glance over the back of his shoulder he tilted his head towards Ayako and lowered his voice, just loud enough for only Ayako to hear him.

"By the way. Have you seen Rukawa?"

Ayako shook her head. "Yasuda told us he's still sleeping. Which is what you should all be doing."

"Haruko has been waiting to speak to him, I think. Kogure came asking me about it."

"Oh. I… oh shoot," Ayako grimaced, suddenly remembering. "Haruko wanted me to tell Rukawa to give her a call after the Sannoh game. I never told him."

"Ah," Mitsui said, straightening. "I wonder how those two are doing,"

"I don't know," Ayako said honestly, glancing over her own shoulder as she talked. Sakuragi was oblivious, instead still jabbering excitedly to Noma about some sort of game show. "If you ask me, Haruko shouldn't expect anything from Rukawa while there's still basketball to be played."

"Mm," Mitsui agreed. He was quick to change the subject. "Do you know who we're playing tomorrow?"

"Yes. Katsura High," Ayako answered, glad that they were on a different topic. "It's their first time in the Nationals, so our experience should give us an edge."

Mitsui nodded, recognizing the name. "Apparently the other guys went to see Katsura High play a bit, after we beat Kainan. They had some player named Shoji that was supposed to be pretty good. Miyagi told me after."

Ayako did a double-take. "Wait, scouting? You guys went scouting?"

"Not me. I was still on crutches. But Rukawa, Hiroshi, and Sakuragi all went apparently. It could be for nothing, since they only caught the last minute."

"Sakuragi went to _scout _another team?"

Mitsui smirked. "He cares about these things whenever it pleases him. Last year on the train to the Nationals he knew who Moroboshi Dai was. That surprised me, I'll tell you that."

It surprised Ayako too. The redhead was still able to do that.

Sakuragi was both everything Ayako expected… and yet not. Appearances truly were deceiving when it came to the volatile redhead. Even while training him after Sakuragi first joined the club, there had been far too many times when Ayako had been surprised to see just how much raw talent he possessed despite all his blunders.

And Ayako knew talent. After all, she had known Sakuragi's greatest rival longer than anyone else: Rukawa Kaede.

* * *

Like Shohoku, Tomigaoka Middle School was not known for basketball. The school had never gone deep into the district competitions, instead always being eliminated early—that was, if they ever made it. The school had never produced a basketball player that had any media recognition and was nothing but a passing point for the devoted few that loved the sport; even Tomigaoka's best would be quietly seated at the end of some bench once they reached high school.

That was, until Rukawa Kaede.

Rukawa was good, even then. She can remember that much clearly. Human memory was funny sometimes; while she vividly remembered her first basketball game, during her entire stint with the baseball team even the best players there seemed unspectacular and forgettable in Ayako's eyes. She knew they were good, of course, but they didn't seem to leave an impression.

But when she and Nakano had crammed into the student-packed gym and her first experience with watching live basketball was seeing Rukawa race down the court in the school's purple away jersey, dodging defenders as if everyone was standing still, barreling full-force into another player before shooting in a one-handed floater with a hushed swish, she knew she was watching something spectacular.

"…this is basketball?" Ayako managed, wide-eyed. Nakano didn't hear her—the Tomigaoka students were in an uproar over Rukawa's basket.

"Rukawa! Rukawa!" The adoring cries of dozens of female fans echoed throughout the gym. The other students were screaming with approval. All this intensity resonated throughout the room, shaking her being.

This was unlike anything Ayako had seen. There was no open air to thin the noise, like in baseball—all the cheers, the body heat, everything was trapped in one confined space.

And before them were ten basketball players, oblivious to all of it.

Ayako shot a glance towards the scoreboard. 84-77. 40 seconds left, Tomigaoka down 7.

39 seconds. Ayako quickly looked back towards the court. There was no breakage in play like in baseball, she realized.

"It doesn't look good," Nakano shouted over the crowd. "I guess we won't make it this year either."

The opposing team had inbounded the ball. One of their players tried to dribble the ball to the other side—but couldn't. Rukawa was there again, defending him, intimidating him. Rukawa was so close that his chest was against the other player's shoulder, leaving no space to maneuver.

From the dribbler's blindside came another Tomigaoka player. The trap worked; the ball was knocked free and as if he was a wild animal attacking its prey, Rukawa bounded forward and slapped the ball against the hardwood to start his own dribble. The opposing team seemed to have enough players around the basket to make any sort of shot difficult.

But Rukawa didn't even seem to notice this. He tore forward, eyes focused only on the basket. Just before one of the bigger players could stop him, Rukawa crossed the ball over and made a gorgeous spin move, avoiding the defender entirely. Now free, he quickly brought the ball up and banked in a layup before anyone else could recover.

More noise. More cheers. 84-79, Tomigaoka only down 5. 34 seconds remaining.

"He's better. So much better than all of the other players," Ayako realized. Even though she didn't know much about the sport she could tell just by the way he moved across the court, the way he had thrown himself without fear towards the basket. No one could stop him, it seemed.

"He's scored 50 points already!" someone shouted.

"We can beat them! Let's go Tomigaoka!" another screamed.

"50?" Ayako repeated in disbelief. She couldn't even fathom this; the Rukawa player had scored more than half of his entire team's points.

"I think that's the Rukawa Kaede everyone is excited about," Nakano explained, as if Ayako hadn't been paying attention. "He's a first year, too."

"What? Why is he playing for our team? Couldn't he have gone to a better school?"

"I don't know," Nakano yelled over the noise. "He said Tomigaoka was close to his house. Or something like that."

Ayako could only continue watching in disbelief as Rukawa again stepped up to defend the dribbler. Tomigaoka hadn't given up.

But there would be no miracle ending. The other team would score on the next possession after winding down as much time as possible. Rukawa would miss on the team's final offensive opportunity, effectively ending any hope at a comeback. But even as the seconds wound down and the atmosphere in the gym turned to disappointment, Ayako could not shake one singular feeling—

She had been moved.

Her heart was hammering in her chest. The heat of the gym, and not that of the blinding summer sun, had made her perspire to such a degree that she could feel the inside of her baseball cap sticking to her scalp.

She had been moved.

The atmosphere. The pace.

The single-minded intensity. The courage.

The grace. The athleticism.

She had never known that sports could be like this.

Ayako watched in a daze as the players lined up at midcourt to shake hands. A swirl of emotions, inspiration being the primary one, coursed through her.

Nakano checked her watch. "That didn't take as long as I thought. Since we have so much time left, we should check on the first-years and make sure they're not slacking."

The Tomigaoka players were already filing for the lockers. Something took over Ayako.

"Rukawa was his name, right?"

"What?" Nakano glanced up. "You mean the one that scored the last few points? Yes, and—hey! Ayako! What are you doing?"

Ayako shoved her way past the straggling, disappointed students that were headed for the exit and instead raced for the court. Nakano and Ayako had been at the spectator area that was perched above the players, giving an eagle's eye view of the game. But that was not where Ayako needed to be.

She quickly made her way courtside, now close enough that the players would be certain to see her.

"Rukawa-kun!"

Rukawa, who had been trudging behind his seniors, glanced over his shoulder. Ayako, out of habit, adjusted her cap as she tried to catch her breath.

A glint of recognition seemed to cross Rukawa's emotionless gaze. "Even the baseball team…"

"Great game." Ayako smiled, composing herself as best as she could. She hadn't heard his muttering.

Rukawa stared blankly at Ayako. He didn't seem to be in any mood to talk; in fact, he didn't seem to want anyone around at all.

"No. We didn't win."

The commotion had already caught the attention of the players that had not entered the lockers. Some of the students that still remained also had their attention courtside now.

Nakano caught up to Ayako, sidling up next to her. Ayako didn't even notice and instead strode right up to Rukawa. He really was much taller up close.

Ayako brazenly stuck out her hand, eyes full of fire.

"But you didn't give up. So I want to thank you. For… playing like that."

Rukawa continued staring at Ayako, seemingly unsure how to deal with her. Just when Ayako thought she was making a fool of herself, Rukawa reached forward and took her hand in his.

In spite of his frigid demeanor, Ayako realized that her clumsy words had reached him. They had been heartfelt, after all.

They shook. It was a brisk, single motion.

"Senpai." Rukawa turned away, his quiet voice barely reaching her ears. "We can't be afraid of failure."

Rukawa made for the lockers, leaving things at that. Some of the remaining Tomigaoka players still on the court continued staring at Ayako as if she was an alien creature.

Ayako breathed a sigh of relief, blowing some stray curls from her vision. Nakano placed a hand on Ayako's shoulder.

"Geez. Aren't you being overly familiar with him? What was that all about?"

Ayako shrugged Nakano's hand off. "What? He's nice."

"Yeah, because you're part of the baseball team," Nakano reasoned. "But you shouldn't have just went up and talked to him. You probably just made scores of enemies, touching Rukawa like that."

Ayako had already blocked Nakano out. Instead, Rukawa's final words continued to resonate with her.

"_**We can't be afraid of failure."**_

Since Ayako had just come from practice, she hadn't changed back into her school uniform. The jumpers that all members of the baseball team wore were a dead giveaway as to what club Ayako was a part of. Yet the way Rukawa had said those words didn't seem as if he was cheering on the baseball team. At least it didn't seem that way to Ayako.

Perhaps he had seen through her own words. More than she had thought.

"Nakano-senpai. I'm sorry, but I won't be at every single practice anymore."

Nakano started, shocked at the abrupt announcement. "What?"

"I'm also joining the calligraphy club. Don't worry, it only meets three times a week, and…"

Ayako could feel the tension building. Nakano was already falling into head manageress mode.

"What? I… no. You can't. Absolutely not. You have to attend all—"

"Okay. I quit then," Ayako said easily, turning to meet Nakano's surprised gaze. Nakano blinked rapidly in confusion, looking positively thunderstruck.

"What are you… what are you talking about, Ayako? Have you gone crazy? What's all this?"

"The truth is I really wanted to join the calligraphy club."

But I was afraid, Ayako didn't say. Afraid of failure. Afraid of what others would think about what I really loved.

"You? Calligraphy?"

Ayako continued staring at Nakano, seeing the turmoil of emotions pass through her senior's eyes. But Ayako didn't feel any guilt, not this time. She could afford to be selfish, just this once.

After a few more moments of tense silence, Nakano finally heaved an exhausted, defeated sigh. She had seen the resolution behind Ayako's decision.

"Fine. Go join the calligraphy club. See if I care."

Ayako bowed, grateful. "Thank you, Nakano-senpai."

"This is such a shame. Just a little bit more enthusiasm for the players and you could have replaced me after I graduated. Instead you decide to pull something like this," Nakano pouted, fumbling with her belongings as she spoke. "Let's head back and check on the first-years. You owe me, by the way."

Ayako straightened, confused. "I'm not off the team?"

"Why would I kick you off the team?" Nakano shot Ayako an irritated look before she continued to dig through her team-issued duffel bag. "As long as you keep up with your duties I don't have any reason to kick you out. When did you say the calligraphy club met? I'll expect you to cover some of the other manageresses' shifts in exchange for your missed practices."

Ayako couldn't hide her smile. "This is the Nakano-senpai I remember."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Nakano finally found her clipboard and flipped through some timesheets, continuing to mumble under her breath all the while. Ayako glanced through the emptying gym, the frenzy of the match just moments ago now only a memory.

"Oh, and Nakano-senpai? When does the basketball team start playing their games for winter?"

* * *

Miyagi and Yasuda were still going at each other when Ayako and the rest of the boys reached the courts. The two were drenched in sweat but neither seemed to have lost a step, instead playing just as hard as when Ayako had left them.

"Ryo-chin!" Sakuragi shouted, shattering the competitive atmosphere. Miyagi, who had been dribbling at the top of the key, looked up just long enough to entice Yasuda to make a play for the ball. At the very last moment Miyagi made a behind-the-back dribble, narrowly avoiding the steal.

"Got to be quicker than that," Miyagi taunted good-naturedly. Miyagi and Yasuda shared a knowing smile before the diminutive Shohoku captain stopped his dribble, the two turning their attention to their visitors.

"How'd the game go, Ryota?" Ayako asked once she was in earshot.

"I won. I was giving Yasuda here another chance just now, before we were interrupted." He tilted his chin upwards towards Mitsui in greeting before giving Sakuragi a suspicious look. "And what are all you guys doing here?"

"Hiroshi thought it would be a good idea to teach him how to pass out of a double-team," Mitsui stated, his hands in his short's pockets. "I thought there wasn't much of a need."

"You doubt this Tensai's genius? Stingy, Micchi!" Sakuragi accused, wagging a finger at the vice-captain.

"Well, maybe it's better to be safe than sorry," Miyagi commented, after thinking it over for a few seconds. "You guys came all the way out here, after all."

"Not exactly by choice," Mitsui mumbled grumpily. Ayako gave Mitsui a sympathetic pat on the back and leaned in close.

"Now now, sensei. Your pupil is eager to learn from you."

"Don't bring that up again," Mitsui scowled, quick to move away. He tossed the basketball he had brought along to Yasuda before motioning towards Miyagi.

"Give me your ball, it's better. Sakuragi, get to the post. Hiroshi, play defense."

A satisfied smile spread across Ayako's face.

Sakuragi and Hiroshi obediently assumed their positions while Mitsui moved in front of Sakuragi, taking Miyagi's ball along the way. Instruction began with Mitsui facing the basket from outside the three-point line. In the post Sakuragi and Hiroshi both had their backs towards the basket, with Sakuragi standing in front of Hiroshi and closer to Mitsui. Miyagi and Yasuda remained where they were at the top of the key. The Sakuragi Army silently observed their leader alongside Ayako.

"Let's pretend that me and Yasuda are on your team, Sakuragi. Miyagi, you know what to do?"

"Keep talking, old man."

"Shut up. Okay, this was your problem all game, Sakuragi. When Miyagi or someone else passes you the ball, the first thing you did was pay attention to your defender," Mitsui explained. "But your defender is only one part of court. All of us are moving in and out of your area while you hold the ball. So if I pass…"

Mitsui shot an overhead pass to Sakuragi. The redhead caught the pass and leaned back against Hiroshi, who gave no ground. However, in the next moment Miyagi sprinted over and very nearly knocked the ball free from Sakuragi—the only thing preventing that was Sakuragi heaving the ball back to Mitsui out of panic.

Mitsui caught the ball and nodded, the point having illustrated itself thanks to Miyagi's interference. "If you only pay attention to your defender and how to deal with him, another player can come in from your blind spot and knock the ball away. Because you're in the post, you can never see who is coming from behind you or the sides you're not facing."

"Hm. Something like that happened today," Sakuragi recounted, rubbing his chin in thought. Hiroshi nodded, easing up his defense on Sakuragi as they all conferred.

"There was a sequence where Miyagi re-posted you," Hiroshi coughed, his throat still recovering. Ayako, having forgotten that she had gotten Miyagi and Yasuda drinks despite them beginning to warm in her hands, was suddenly reminded of them but decided not to hand them off until the players were done instructing Sakuragi. "It was right before you—"

"Commoner's shot II!" Sakuragi interrupted, suddenly remembering.

"Uh. Right," Hiroshi managed, not understanding but trusting Sakuragi's memory of the shot. "You did the exact same thing you did just now, and that is you gave the ball back to the original passer."

"But the_ best_ pass would be to the open player," Miyagi continued, picking up on Hiroshi's explanation. "And because I came over to help Hiroshi on defense, Yasuda is now wide open."

The players' explanation was simple enough that Sakuragi seemed to be following along. Mitsui made the pass again and Sakuragi obediently caught it.

"So when you first catch the ball in the post, you shouldn't _look_ for yourdefender. You should be able to feel your defender on your back." Mitsui held an elbow up to remind Sakuragi of his initial lessons on posting-up. "Remember? You try to spin off the elbow the opponent is using when you do your drop-step. You'll know that your defender is still behind you."

Hiroshi dug an elbow into the center of Sakuragi's back to emphasize Mitsui's point as the vice-captain continued.

"The first action you should be doing instead is to look over your shoulder, towards the top of the key."

"Why not the shoulder towards the basket?" Sakuragi complained, holding his arm with the ball up. "I want to score!"

"Because you need to pay attention if Yasuda is cutting… er, running for the basket. If he is, he might draw his defender towards you. Or the defender might have voluntarily lagged off to come double-team. If Yasuda lost his defender either by cutting or because of the double-team, you should pass to him so he gets an easy score."

"But_ I_ can score," Sakuragi grumbled. Mitsui sighed, not bothering to try and argue with the redhead.

"We'll call out the double-team if we see it," Miyagi noted. "But if the opponent hasn't committed to the double-team fully, then they can recover on defense. If I knew that you saw me coming, I would move back to guard Yasuda and try and get you again later. So you have to be aware of other people's positions on the floor and not just the person who passed to you a second ago."

"But I can get points by myself."

Mitsui shot Hiroshi a glare. "You see what I mean about teaching this guy?"

Hiroshi gave Mitsui a sympathetic look. "I tried to teach him some wing defense before. Is there any way we can simplify it for him more?"

"Simplify it more?" Miyagi sided with Mitsui, skeptical. "Passing out of a double-team isn't simpler than what we just—"

Mitsui, however, was quick to come up with a new strategy. "Actually, Sakuragi. If you saw that Miyagi was coming, you know what you could have done, right? It's a huge secret to scoring, what I'm about to tell you."

"Hm?" Sakuragi gave Mitsui his full attention. Mitsui nodded sagely.

"Right. So if you look for where the help defense is coming from, you'll know which side of the court you have to avoid. That way you can score easier."

"You shouldn't have told him that!" Miyagi gave Mitsui a horrified look, catching on quickly to Mitsui's strategy. "_Rukawa _uses that move to get points all the time."

"The fox?" If Sakuragi hadn't been absorbing the information before, things were about to change. "He does this?"

"He gets double-teamed all the time. Triple-teams, too. Didn't I say that earlier?" Hiroshi spoke up, shooting Yasuda a discreet look.

"Rukawa passes the ball out of double-teams because he knows that he can get the ball back in even better position if the double-team leaves," Yasuda said, using just the right words for Sakuragi to become fully immersed in the instruction.

"That's why I re-posted you in that play during the game today, Sakuragi. I gave you time to make a move without the ball. If you pass to the open teammate, they'll do the same if you make the effort," Miyagi offered.

Sakuragi nodded quickly, everyone's advice suddenly seeming that much more appealing.

"I see, I see! Everyone is contributing to make sure this Tensai can get more points! Well I guess I can pay attention to where all you commoners are, just in case you need to touch the ball once in a while!" Sakuragi laughed in self-bravado. Mitsui gave Miyagi a knowing look, the two shaking their heads in disbelief.

"One more time," Hiroshi suggested, sensing that Mitsui wasn't in much of a mood to continue instructing the redhead if someone didn't step in. Sakuragi tossed the ball back out, readying himself to give the play another go.

Ayako couldn't help but giggle, hiding it as best she could. The team had grown used to handling the redhead when it mattered. And she knew that was why Miyagi and Mitsui were in charge of the players; it was more than just their experience, but their leadership. To make sure everyone was clear that their only objective was to conquer the nation.

Becoming one, unified group with one common goal. That was what it meant to be a team. It was all that Ayako could have asked for.

* * *

She knew what being a team meant, long before attending Shohoku High. What Ayako didn't know was how it related to basketball, a sport where there was only one ball to share amongst five players.

Anzai had changed that for her.

Becoming the manageress of Shohoku High's lackluster basketball team had been simple, ridiculously so. No one had ever applied for the position and instead most of the common menial duties were split among the first-years of the team. When she had shown up at one of the practices, the first response she had gotten as soon as she stepped through the doors was a sea of pubescent boys gawking at her. The second response, after asking one of the players if there was a manageress position even available, was confusion. She was taken to the team's captain, who was probably wondering why she was even asking.

It made sense. Being a manageress for Tomigaoka's baseball team was not completely thankless, as it brought her some degree of popularity. Being a manageress for Shohoku's basketball team would bring her nothing.

Except more exposure to the game.

"A manageress position? Well, you should probably speak to Anzai-sensei," the captain had answered with a yawn. "He should be in later today. Sakawa-kun, could you grab her a chair or something? I'm trying to make sure the first-years do their drills."

One of the players, Sakawa, was quick to give her a place to sit. Ayako made herself comfortable and began working a bit on her homework, keeping one eye on Shohoku's basketball practice.

Her interactions with the lackadaisical captain, who made the minimal amount of effort to run the practice, told her enough about the team. Tomigaoka had a winning baseball team for a reason—the players felt there were expectations to live up to. The Shohoku players seemed to be going through the motions, at best. Few players had even worked up much of a sweat, even while they scrimmaged.

Inexcusable. It took quite a bit of effort on Ayako's part to not start barking at the slackers to push harder, out of habit. Nakano certainly would have stepped in.

Just as she was thinking this, there was a thunderous dunk from one side of the court. Ayako quickly shifted her full attention there, where a towering beast of a player was gazing down at two defenders who had hit the deck after being mowed over.

"You call this defense?" the dark-skinned boy boomed. Ayako was able to make out one of the players he had bulldozed as Sakawa.

Another player placed a hand on one of the broad shoulders of the enormous player.

"Akagi—"

"If we want to make the Nationals, we have to take all the practices seriously!" Akagi looked around the other players, expression stern. "The first-year prospects are coming in two weeks. If you guys play like this we won't even be able to beat the freshmen!"

Unlike the other players, Akagi was already sopped in sweat. The other player who had tried to calm the situation, easily identifiable by his glasses, seemed equally drenched; the two were certainly a contrast to the players they were practicing with.

"Is there a problem?" the basketball captain called, not even bothering to make an effort to head in the direction of the altercation. Either this sort of thing happened often or the captain couldn't be bothered to deal with it by himself, Ayako guessed.

"…Nothing!" Sakawa called out, pushing himself off the floor and helping the other defender up. Akagi gave the two a severe look before turning around, lumbering back towards the other side of the court.

Before Ayako could study him further, the gym doors opened and an elderly gentleman shuffled in. Upon his entrance, all of the players snapped to attention and bowed.

"Good afternoon, sensei!"

"Ohoho. Good afternoon," the portly man greeted in a soft voice, motioning for them to continue their activities. The basketball captain was quick to have a conversation with the man, likely giving him updates on the team's status.

After a few moments the captain gestured towards Ayako. Guessing that she was about to be summoned, Ayako rose to her feet and set her homework onto the chair. However, instead of her having to move to meet the coach, the coach was already making his way towards Ayako.

This was certainly new.

"Good afternoon," the bespectacled coach repeated once he was within earshot of Ayako. The captain had not bothered to join in on the discussion and was instead still keeping watch over the practice. "Are you interested in joining the basketball team?"

"Yes. As manageress," Ayako clarified, bowing once in greeting. "My name is Ayako, first year."

"And have you played basketball before, Ayako?"

"No, sensei."

"I see. Oh, I'm getting ahead of myself." The white-haired elder extended a chubby hand.

"I am Anzai Mitsuyoshi, coach of Shohoku High's basketball team."

Ayako hesitatingly shook. Anzai's mild behavior was confusing; Ayako was expecting at least some degree of authority. Anzai exuded little.

"Why would you like to join the team, Ayako?" Anzai asked, his gaze indecipherable behind his glasses.

Ayako had been expecting this question and was quick to respond. "I've been a manageress for Tomigaoka's baseball team for three years. I have experience with—"

"Ohoho," Anzai interrupted with a laugh, his wide belly jiggling with mirth. "No, Ayako. I'm asking _why_ you would like to join the team?"

Ayako stared blankly at Anzai.

"What does basketball mean to you, Ayako?"

Oh boy. This was a question she's heard before, at least when it came to baseball. Her father had asked Ayako this numerous times, usually in a far more angry tone of voice, after catching glimpses of her in the dugout during games with a bored expression even as players celebrated around her. It was the one question she's never been able to answer— and if she couldn't answer it for baseball, how would she do it for basketball?

"I…" Ayako thought it over, unsure. "I don't…"

"Do you love basketball?" His tone was not accusatory at all, but rather soft, curious.

Did she? No, of course not. She barely knew anything about it. She was only really just interested in seeing more of the sport from the inside. She had often watched Tomigaoka's basketball team after her first meeting with Rukawa, probably enough to be called a supporter. But _love_ the sport…

"I just… I wanted to learn more… about basketball," Ayako confessed haltingly. That was the best she could do, without lying. She was fully expecting to be reprimanded for the underwhelming answer, but instead Anzai smiled.

"I feel the same way."

If Anzai noticed Ayako's look of confusion, he didn't show it. Instead he turned and headed towards the lockers after a simple "wait here."

Ayako did, mulling over Anzai's words all the while.

Tomigaoka's baseball coach was nothing like this. Even when she was in her third year as manageress, the coach had little interaction with her at all. Instead his will was carried out by the captain, or at least that's what everyone believed. During her first two years Ayako had been completely ignored during games; instead she was a glorified cheerleader, sitting at the end of the bench and providing support along with the other junior manageresses. By the time of her third-year the coach would occasionally ask her whether or not so and so's condition was good or bad, or whether or not they had really gotten money for the club because slugs caught fly balls better than Kimura, but that was it. Ayako genuinely wondered if the coach even knew her name, sometimes. Of course she couldn't blame him if he didn't; the baseball team was massive with members constantly coming in and out, and the coach also had to deal with the pressure of making sure Tomigaoka lived up to expectations. Ayako preferred the coach not keep an eye on her anyway; he never questioned her cheering, for one.

Anzai had given her his full attention. He even seemed interested in what she had to say. But maybe he was assessing her, Ayako reasoned. Shohoku didn't have a manager currently, after all.

After a few more minutes, Anzai returned with two small boxes in tow. He ever-so-gently leaned down to set the boxes at her feet, Ayako helping him as best she could.

"Here are some books. Please read them at your leisure."

Ayako knelt down and rummaged through one of the box's contents. Indeed, it was filled with books; some new, but most old and musty. There were about twelve books in all. What was most surprising to Ayako, however, were the types of books he had offered her.

None of them were about basketball.

She scanned through the titles. Books on motivation. Communication. Even…

"'Training Soccer Champions?' Is this the right book, Anzai-sensei?" Ayako held up one of the newer books, offering it to the coach. Anzai didn't reach for it; instead a smile stretched across his face. It was clear he knew exactly what books he had given her.

"'If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking,'" Anzai quoted. "Although that too is from a book. I will give you a copy when you finish these, if you are interested."

"How soon should I finish them?"

"Don't rush. Read them at your own pace; we can discuss them later. You'll have plenty of time to apply the concepts, as manageress of our team."

Ayako blinked. The news had been delivered with hardly a change in the coach's voice. "I'm manageress? Really?"

Ridiculously simple indeed.

"Of course. Oh, but keep that with you as much as possible," Anzai instructed, motioning for the other box. Ayako set the books back where they belonged and peeked into the other package Anzai had brought.

It was a basketball. Anzai had selected one of the better practice balls—this one was clean and its grip had hardly been worn down at all.

"You're a member of the team now. It would be best if you could play a little bit," Anzai elaborated. "Dribble it around, toss it between your hands. Your body will adapt."

A member of the team. Odd, how matter-of-fact Anzai was about that. Ayako looked back towards the pile of books Anzai had entrusted her with.

"Are reading these types of books okay?" Ayako asked again, still unconvinced.

Anzai slowly got to one knee, maintaining balance with one hand on his knee and the other on the floor. Ayako stared at Anzai, growing more confused by the coach's actions by the second.

"Ayako. What is most important in a sport?" Anzai gave her a serious look, now eye-level.

"Excuse me?"

"You and I will be watching over the players' development. If you're managing a player, what is the most important thing you can teach?"

Ayako frowned, the answer coming easily enough. "The basics and the fundamentals. Rules. How to play."

Anzai smiled, expecting those words. "Do you teach that to someone that already plays the sport? What do you teach those types of players that are far along in their development? In worlds that neither you nor I could understand?"

Ayako sputtered. The question was never one she had to worry about—as Nakano had said before, long ago, the better players taught the worse players. But the implications of what Anzai had said weren't lost on her; oftentimes, the pupil exceeds the teacher in skill. What was there to teach the best players?

Seeing that Ayako was struggling, Anzai instead gave her another question:

"Can you teach someone to love the sport?"

Ayako was reminded of her disinterest towards baseball, despite being a manageress for so long. "No. I don't think you can."

"Ohoho. Interesting," Anzai replied vaguely, noncommittal as to whether Ayako's answer had been right or wrong. "Then if all your players already love the sport, and they think they love it more than anyone else, what can you teach them?"

What indeed? What did Ayako have to offer?

Ayako could only continue staring wide-eyed at the coach, tongue-tied. She couldn't find an answer. She never had to wonder about these things before.

"A sport," Anzai continued after another pause, his smile now softening at the edges, filling with joyful nostalgia, "is more than just the rules that make it up. That is because people are the ones that play these sports. We are all different. In skills, in thinking. With a sports team you have to manage people and make sure they share one goal without losing their own identities. And to do so, all you need is to teach them this:

"The team doesn't exist for their sake. They exist for the team. And everyone belongs here. Everyone."

Anzai placed his hand on the stack of books, giving them a gentle pat.

"As mentors, we must guide them. But everyone is different. And that is why I give you these things to read, so you can appreciate that everyone is different. You must never forget that some things that work for one person will not work for another. Trusting each other…_ that_ is what we must teach our players. And it is what we have to learn, as well. Because as much as the players must trust each other, they must trust us, as well. Or else our advice is worthless."

Anzai's eyes grew distant, for the briefest of moments. "That… that was one of the hardest lessons I had to learn."

There was a long, but appropriate, silence. In the background, the squeaks of sneakers and pounding of ball to hardwood filled the air.

Anzai returned to himself, meeting Ayako's eyes once again.

"Please keep that in mind."

Ayako placed her hand on the basketball. It was a strange sensation, far different than the baseballs she had collected in the outfields; the surface was rough, bumpy, full of character.

"I will."

* * *

"Boys!"

The others, who were still busy instructing Sakuragi how to react to the double-team, snapped to attention. Ayako looked between all of them, assessing their conditions as she set the two drinks she had brought on the ground. All of them seemed capable of playing a bit more, she felt.

Tonight was a precious opportunity, Ayako realized. Rarely were the players together like this aside from games and practices, and even less were they all willing to put their heads together to teach another player something.

She remembered Miyagi mentioning Anzai having faith in Sakuragi's learning ability. Hearing that lent more support to what she had witnessed long ago, training the redhead in the fundamentals of basketball. Sakuragi would benefit the most from learning any technique, even if he could retain only parts of it.

Ayako was certain Anzai would suggest what she was about to.

"How about teaching Sakuragi the pick and roll?"

There was a long, shocked silence. Mitsui and Miyagi stared at Ayako as if she had gone crazy.

"Pick and what?" Sakuragi asked.

"Pick and what?" Youhei and the rest of the Sakuragi Army echoed.

"Pick and roll," Ayako repeated, keeping her eyes on Mitsui and Miyagi. As manageress, she probably shouldn't be encouraging them to do more when there was a game tomorrow—they very well could pay due to her persistence.

But if everything worked out…

"What's that?" Sakuragi demanded, already interested.

"Wait," Hiroshi spoke up from behind Sakuragi, stunned. "No one's taught him the pick and roll yet?"

"You know that the idiot barely knows our playbook, Hiroshi," Miyagi commented, brushing some sweat from his brow. "He memorized a few basic plays and nothing more."

"But he's always at the right place on the court. Uh, most of the time."

"You don't have to do much thinking as a center, anyways," Miyagi dismissed. While Mitsui and Hiroshi's faces remained blank, Ayako knew as well as well as they did that Miyagi's words were not accurate. True enough, centers were generally considered the muscle of the team, anchoring the defense and grabbing rebounds—but that was not all they were. Offensive centers were required to have a thorough understanding of spacing and rotations; that Sakuragi knew many of these things by instinct alone was unbelievable, truthfully.

It was funny, the point guard-center dynamic. Each too stubborn to admit that they wished for the skills and gifts of the other.

"Someone want to clue us in on what the pick and roll thing is?" Yuuji asked, drawing nods of assent from the other members of the Sakuragi Army.

"The pick and roll is the simplest offensive basketball play there is. You only need two players to run it. But if the pick and roll is done correctly, it's nearly impossible to guard," Hiroshi explained, giving Ayako a look. He seemed dubious about her suggestion. "But that's the issue: running it correctly. The decision-making for both of the offensive players has to be perfect. There can't be miscommunication, either in running the play or for people defending it."

"I don't want to learn any of these 'simple' techniques anymore," Sakuragi pouted.

"Hiroshi means the concept is simple. Pick and roll is one of the most powerful offensive weapons," Yasuda corrected Sakuragi. Unlike the others, he seemed receptive towards Ayako's idea. "If you can learn it, Sakuragi, then you will have a lot more easy baskets."

"Baskets? You mean more points for this Tensai?"

"Yes," Ayako confirmed, shooting a questioning look towards Mitsui and Miyagi again. "If everyone is willing to teach you."

"But… it's Sakuragi," Mitsui commented shortly, as if that was explanation enough. "You saw what it took just to make him learn how to pass out of a double-team. Teaching something like the pick and roll is…"

"Akagi didn't even know what a screen was until you told him," Ayako argued. Mitsui's eyes widened.

"Where'd you hear that?"

"I'm the manageress of this team, remember?"

"Kogure's been a bit of a loudmouth lately," Mitsui grumbled, instantly guessing the source of the leak. Ayako didn't bother correcting Mitsui; Kogure had actually told her not "lately," but last year before he graduated.

"The screen is one thing. Pick and roll is different," Miyagi said, offering his input. "If someone calls a pick and roll and they don't run it correctly, we could turn the ball over. Or completely mess up the offense."

"Do it for me, Ryota?" Ayako pleaded with her best puppy-dog look, playing one of her trump cards.

"Your wish is my command, Aya-chan! I mean, wait," Miyagi mumbled, coming to his senses after Mitsui delivered an elbow to Miyagi's shoulder to knock him out of lovey-dovey mode. "I'm not against Sakuragi learning it. I just don't think we would be able to apply it in-game."

"You dare doubt this Tensai?" Sakuragi accused, glowering at the point guard for depriving him of more offensive techniques. Ayako again turned her attention to Mitsui.

"What do you think, Mitsui-senpai? You know Sakuragi the best here, now. Would he be able to apply the pick and roll in-game?"

Mitsui shot Miyagi a sidelong glance. Miyagi held his hands up.

"You're not pinning this one on me. Not after that stunt you did during halftime today, making me talk to the others without any warning." Miyagi's hands fell back to his sides. "But I think Aya-chan has a point. Akagi wouldn't have been against teaching him anything useful."

Mitsui's eyes flickered back towards Ayako. An amused grin spread across his handsome face.

"Heh. Why not, then. If he learns it right, I'll get more easy looks at the basket too."

Ayako bit back a smile, trying to remain as composed as possible. Now she knew how Anzai felt, in these situations.

Being able to accurately judge your players and predict their responses. Trusting them to come to the right conclusion. There was definitely a different sort of joy that came from all this, though not necessarily unlike what she felt doing calligraphy. In a way she was shaping these players, as well.

She wondered if Nakano had felt these things, even once, in her life.

"Miyagi, you handle the ball. Hiroshi and Yasuda, you'll guard the pick and roll. Sakuragi, remember how to set a screen? I'll tell you when to set one," Mitsui instructed, shaking his head. "Hopefully this won't go as bad as I'm imagining it to be."

"Who decided you get to play captain, old man?" Miyagi complained, nevertheless assuming his position at the top of the key.

"This should be fun," Ayako heard from Takamiya, the pudgy Sakuragi Army member elbowing Noma in anticipation. "Even the other players don't know if Hanamichi will learn this."

It wasn't just the players. Ayako was not completely sure how this would go, either.

She watched Mitsui begin his explanation of what the pick and roll was. Sakuragi was listening attentively, absorbing the information as best he could.

Ayako wondered if she had looked the same way to Anzai, back then.

* * *

"Could you explain the pick and roll to me, Anzai-sensei?"

It was after practice was over for the day that she approached Anzai with the question. Now that she was manageress, more of the after-practice duties fell on her. Normally players that stayed after would be forced to help in cleaning up, but today none had stayed. It was for the best because she needed some privacy when she spoke with Anzai about basketball matters; Akagi and Kogure always seemed to be around after practices and she wasn't sure what they thought of her just yet. If they caught her asking Anzai basic basketball concepts she wasn't sure how they would react.

Anzai gave her a soft, approving chuckle in response to her query. The coach was around practices far less than Ayako had anticipated he would be; she had been manageress for over a week and this was only the second time she had gotten the opportunity to speak with him.

"You are very enthusiastic, Ayako-chan. You're at the playbook already, I assume?"

"Uh, yes. And there wasn't much explanation in most of the books you gave me about the specifics of basketball. So…" Ayako trailed off, hoping Anzai would understand her point.

Fortunately, he did. Anzai motioned for her to follow him as he slowly shuffled over to his chair overlooking the courts. He gently moved his cup of green tea off the seat and onto the floor before settling in, placing a clipboard in his lap while doing so. Ayako quickly pulled up another chair alongside the coach so she could have a better view of Anzai's drawings.

"The pick and roll is just as the name implies. For instance…"

Anzai held up his clipboard and drew two circles, denoted as X and Y.

"If you start things like this, doesn't basketball seem so much simpler?"

"Yes," Ayako agreed. Yes, it was simple when she didn't have to interpret any of the complex squiggles that occupied Shohoku High's playbook.

"Let's say X sets the pick, and Y is the ball handler. Each of them has a defender. Do you know what a pick is, Ayako-chan?"

"I do," Ayako confirmed, having read about it just yesterday. "A pick is an offensive player that acts as an obstruction against those defending the ball-handler."

"Ohoho. Correct," Anzai laughed, returning to his clipboard. "Now, let us assume that X sets a good pick and Y is free. What happens to their defenders?"

Ayako thought over it for a moment. "If X blocks Y's defender, then X's defender now guards Y. Y's defender now guards X."

"That is true," Anzai smiled. "And that is the beauty of the play. If X is a center and Y is a smaller player, Y is now being defended by a much taller, and much slower, player. And X is being guarded by a player that is much shorter than his original defender. You have created a mismatch."

_Dr. T: A "mismatch" in basketball is when an offensive player is paired against a defender that has a disadvantage in skill or in height._

"Or both defenders would chase after Y, leaving X completely open," Ayako nodded, understanding. "Why don't basketball players do this all the time?"

Anzai shook his head, moving his dry erase marker across the clipboard once more as he continued speaking. "The concept sounds easy. But it is difficult in reality. Let's discuss an example and define what the 'roll' in 'pick and roll' means."

Anzai held his clipboard up again. What he had drawn was an arrow showing Y moving to the basket, with X doing the same.

"If X can seal off Y's defender, X now has the advantage and can 'roll' towards the basket to get an easy shot after Y passes the ball to him. But there are many things that can go wrong, even if the pick and roll works. What if…"

Anzai drew another circle: Z.

"What if another defender, Z, comes and blocks off Y? Or blocks off X? Y must make the correct decision with the ball at this point. Just as the pick and roll is alive, so is the opposition's defense. A good team will react, as a group, to defend the pick and roll."

"'Even if it works?' Now you make it sound like the pick and roll rarely succeeds, Anzai-sensei."

"Ohoho." Anzai shook with laughter, finding Ayako's innocence amusing. "It only succeeds if the two offensive players can react perfectly. Otherwise a good defense can completely neutralize the play."

Anzai moved his marker across the clipboard once more as he continued speaking. "The pick and roll is hard to execute because three things must happen. The first is the obvious: X must set a very good pick, allowing Y an opportunity to attack. The second is Y must make a good decision based on how the defenders react to the pick and roll. And finally, X must also react appropriately to the defenders. It is a living play, born at that moment. There is no way to completely predict what can happen beforehand."

Anzai raised the clipboard up for Ayako to see. This time, there were far too many arrows and letters for Ayako to keep track of: in fact, the clipboard seemed a complex mess, resembling the graphs she had seen in the playbook.

Ayako tried her best to understand what was new from the previous drawing. Anzai, however, seemed to sense her confusion and instead lowered the clipboard back to his lap.

"It's all nonsense. Isn't it?"

"Um. It is to me," Ayako smiled diplomatically, unsure of what the old coach wanted from her. Anzai returned her smile with one of his own, wrinkles stretching at the corner of his eyes.

"In time, you'll be able to see this as I do. And you'll be able to interpret all the plays. Let's start again."

Anzai erased the clipboard with the palm of his hand, not minding the ink staining his skin. His smile seemed to stretch ever wider as he discussed the sport—Ayako could sense just how much he enjoyed the game.

"Basketball should always be in motion. That's how I see it, in my head." Anzai shared, offering the information joyfully, like a child revealing to his friends where he had buried a treasure. "That is why the pick and roll is so interesting to me. The options are limitless. The pick and roll is both static and free-flowing. Prepared and unprepared. You practice for outcomes that may never occur. Or always occur."

He paused. "That is what a sport is, I think."

Anzai began to draw again, this time slowly. Ayako watched arrows spring from circles, maneuvering across the clipboard, as if alive.

Strict shapes. Precise paths. But a flowing ethereal nature, born from it all—

"Like calligraphy." The words were out of her mouth before she realized it. She didn't regret it.

Anzai's hand froze. He turned his head to face her directly, his expression leaning towards surprised; yet to her, it seemed more complex than that, indecipherable. A ghost of a smile passed across his face, the briefest yet, but Ayako felt that it was the most genuine she had seen all afternoon.

"Ohoho," Anzai chuckled softly, returning his attention back to the clipboard. He lifted his marker again.

"Finally. Someone agrees with me."

* * *

That day Ayako had watched the pick and roll unfold as a mix of lines and shapes.

Tonight Ayako watched it come to life, as perfectly as she had ever seen it.

Ayako watched Miyagi handle the ball, sharing a back-and-forth with Mitsui about which decision would work best for such and such a case.

She would have never imagined this, last year. They had always been at each other's throats before rejoining the team. But time had a way of easing those tensions. She knew that Miyagi trusted Mitsui's word more than any other player on the team, and Mitsui respected Miyagi's thoughts just as much. The two were so unlike Akagi and Kogure but maybe it suited this troublemaking team better that these two would lead them, full of themselves as they were. They had the pride that Akagi didn't have quite enough of, a bit of swagger that made them think no single opponent could ever match them. It would have been bad, of course, if they were unable to be realistic as well; but they were older now, more experienced, more tempered in that regard. They were Shohoku's foundation, and Ayako had no doubts they were different, but just as solid as the ones they had replaced.

Ayako watched Hiroshi and Yasuda, their expressions calm as they offered their opinion on the matter.

She knew the team needed those two, to provide balance and stability in a team that sometimes seemed to lack it. Anzai was not always there for the day-to-day, minute-to-minute interactions that the team had. If the others let their ego get in the way of winning, she knew that those two would step in to remind them of what they had set out to do. Their actions on the court, of Hiroshi always changing his role to fill the holes the others may miss and Yasuda knowing just when to change the tempo of the team before things got out of hand, were testaments to that. If the departure of Akagi and Kogure had left a void in regards to the team's discipline and selflessness, Ayako could not imagine better replacements.

Ayako watched Sakuragi listen intently to the others' suggestions, holding on to all their advice and incorporating it into his being.

And she could imagine Rukawa in his sleep, sensing the redhead's footsteps advance just a bit closer to the world he lived in.

Ayako watched the idiot boys she had come to love argue amongst each other before running the pick and roll again, their bodies moving across the court one after another in perfect sync. She couldn't help but think of ink to brush to paper, leaving trails so beautiful that hearts could break, and knew why she belonged here, why sports were an art, and why she would love basketball forever.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

The quote and the book Anzai is referencing in his conversation with Ayako is "Norwegian Wood" by Haruki Murakami.

Sakawa is a character introduced in Chapter 266 of the Slam Dunk manga by the genius Inoue Takehiko so I claim no ownership.


	70. Chapter 69

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Author's Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating this wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Reviews:**

Martin F – Yeah, that chapter took a whole lot of writing and brainstorming. I'm glad that it read well and that you enjoyed it. I love throwing in some of those details for Slam Dunk fans to catch too, as a kind of reward. Besides, I don't think you can write a true sequel without mentioning those things.

Awesome to hear about the availability of basketball in the region. I definitely think having leagues is really important because organized basketball and playing in a structured team setting is the best way to get better at the game, aside from all the training someone does by themselves in their spare time. The way that the Filipino basketball program is set up sounds amazing, and chemistry is really one of the more underrated aspects of the sport. Backdoor politics exists in a lot of sports and it's a shame to hear the extent it has in the Filipino basketball program, though I have to thank you for typing up so much and educating me about the sport over there. I really enjoy getting a more solid understanding of international basketball. If you ever feel there's something interesting that you want to bring to my attention, please don't hesitate to do so.

Laziness Incarnate – That's a great way of putting things. I wish I could dig through your brain and absorb your writing powers. I was actually in Canada a few weeks ago, but in Vancouver, so I'm not sure we would have had an opportunity to bump heads.

I always thought Ayako's character needed some development because she really is one of the boys and is a crucial component of Shohoku. Besides, I just like her character a lot so it was fun to write that chapter. As for the strength of the current Shohoku squad versus the old one, my thinking has always been the Shohoku squad with Akagi that took down Sannoh was the strongest squad in the manga period, i.e. they would have won the championship that year. I've played out a few scenarios in my head of how the current squad I made would compare to Inoue's before, and without getting all basketbally I'll only say that my squad wouldn't win. I think that's more a testament to how balanced and strong Shohoku's roster was at that point in time than anything, though.

Ka22hanaN – Thank you so much for the kind words, and for the review!

Iron Duke – As always, great to hear from you again. :D

Guest – Hooray! Great to have a new reader! Thanks for taking the time to review!

Mitsui is supposed to be #5 and Hiroshi is supposed to be #13. I'm still editing the older chapters to make that consistent. Sorry about the confusion!

QwertyASDFGHJKL – Thank you for all your kind comments! Glad to hear you enjoy the story!

I try to update monthly but that really depends on my own schedule and the type of chapter I'm writing. I've been good about updating fairly regularly but since the story has been going on for eight years now, I think I have to try and stay on track or else I'll never finish writing the damn thing. I'll try my best to update as soon as I can, because I want to finish the story as soon as possible too!

I really like Mitsui and he's going to be having a lot of moments coming up soon, but I don't have a true favorite in the fandom. Inoue was really good about making awesome, vibrant characters so I hold all the characters dear to my heart. There are a few characters I like writing less than the others but none of them are from Shohoku—all the Shohoku boys are generally fleshed out enough from the manga that I don't feel uncomfortable writing them anymore.

I eat a lot of chicken, if that helps. :D

Nigel – Thanks for the review, man. I like the Miyagi-Mitsui dynamic too and it's only going to deepen as time goes on.

How we got started with the game is something we all at least have a vague memory of, and I always find that so amazing that the sport can leave such a deep impression on who we are as people. Even for people that don't play basketball but have read and been touched by Slam Dunk, I think just being exposed to a sport through some means changes them. It's also a reason why I can't wait to watch the Olympics, I really enjoy the competition but also how it brings people together.

I'll definitely check out the book you recommended me, I looked it up online and it looks fantastic. I'm actually surprised, given all you said, that corruption can remain relatively unchecked in the professional leagues because if so many people love basketball in the Philippines, why hasn't there been a strong push to correct these things? Is there any hope of things getting better?

Cyan Comet – Hey there! Nice to see a new reader and fellow basketball fan. Thanks for reviewing the earlier chapters and I'm very flattered by your words. I hope you're not burned out by the time you reach this point. As for the Mitsui-Hiroshi number issue, Mitsui is #5 (vice-captain) and Hiroshi is #13, I'm still editing the earlier chapters to reflect this. Apologies for the confusion.

Princess Ein – Thanks, glad to hear you like the story! Youhei already had his basketball moment during the Daiei High match, I don't know if I'll have him or the other Sakuragi Army members play anymore unless it fits in the plot. I can never say never, though.

* * *

**Chapter 69 – Giants**

The game had ended about two minutes into the second half, by his estimation. One of the teams just didn't seem to want to admit it.

That stubbornness, the young man thought, was starting to become mildly annoying.

Tamaki Hayato kept one eye on the game and the other on his book, which he had brought in anticipation of this outcome. In truth there wasn't sufficient reason for him to devote any more attention to the game; there wouldn't be anything informative and Hegel's writings were just a far more worthwhile investment of his time at this point. It was at moments like this he wished he could study teams he was actually interested in instead of being forced to watch farces like the one before him play out.

He snuck a look at the scoreboard, the 102-56 scores not even registering to him. He was more interested (and subsequently, disappointed) to see that there was still 2 minutes, 14 seconds before the game would end.

Tamaki returned his attention to his book. If he had to be here, he would at least try and spend it doing something productive.

On the court, Sansho High was getting blown out. Tamaki had always believed that Sansho High was a decent team, but he had never seen anything brilliant from them during his three years as a high school player. Sansho High had never really put it all together to make a deep run into the Nationals, despite having some respectable talent. In truth, the B ranking that the magazines had bestowed upon Sansho High was a bit generous, in Tamaki's eyes. There had been a new editor for that magazine, from what Tamaki had heard. And without a full knowledge of the history behind each team, they likely had not seen that Sansho High's defense was more undisciplined this year, their players less cohesive.

So it made sense that the editor was not completely spot on with all the scores. After all, they had rated Meiho High as A.

Because at the time he saw the score, that seemed generous as well.

To Tamaki, at least. The coach had smirked and said that the writers would regret not giving them the coveted AA ranking, despite winning the Nationals last summer. But in Tamaki's eyes, this year's Meiho High had a bit more growing to do to get to AA—even if, maybe, their skills alone were AA level.

But Tamaki could understand the coach's sentiments. It was hard not to be cocky, when they had someone like Moroshige Hiroshi on their side.

Tamaki pushed up his glasses and flipped a page in his book, allowing his mind to wander even as he absorbed the text before him.

Meiho High was not a favorite to win the championship again, but Tamaki knew that everyone on the team was playing for that goal. Thus as captain, he had a great deal to live up to. Even though their coach was brilliant at running the team on his own, he doted on Moroshige far more than was necessary and Tamaki knew that there were things a basketball player could teach the others that the coach could not. Tamaki held himself responsible for doing just that.

At least they didn't have to worry about meeting Kainan High this year. Tamaki had been concerned that the two teams would be destined to meet again while he was still a player, but fortunately there would be no chance of that happening. Kainan High had not been a pushover last year and though Tamaki had been a bench player, he still remembered the amount of effort it had taken their entire team to contain Maki. Tamaki had nothing but respect for opponents as strong as Kainan High—and likewise, for Aiwa High, who fortunately did not make it into the finals last year because of Kainan.

Kainan High had done their homework on Meiho High before coming into the Finals, but Aiwa High would have had real-game experience with everything that Meiho could offer. There might have been a different outcome, with a Moroboshi Dai that was hungry for revenge.

The fiery glare that Tamaki had seen yesterday from Aoba, Aiwa High's new manageress, briefly surfaced in his mind. That rivalry wasn't gone yet, he knew.

There was a whistle from the floor. Tamaki took a glance up before looking back towards his book. A meaningless foul from Sansho High on the opposing team, delaying the inevitable. Understandable, but quite unnecessary. It was simply impossible to mount any sort of comeback at this point.

The Aiwa High-Meiho High rivalry had carried over to this year, but Aiwa High was a shadow of their former selves. The best teams in the Nationals had rosters with more than one basketball talent, and with Moroboshi Noboru being an unpredictable quantity, Tamaki knew Meiho High didn't have to yet fear them. Sannoh High would have been a dangerous one due to the balance of their starting five… as was Rakuan High, which had their own star center. Maybe Too High was worth considering this year, as well.

But Sannoh High was already out. And Rakuan High would struggle for nothing, in the end.

Tamaki had yet to see a team that would be a true threat to Meiho this year, despite the audacity most opponents had shown them. They would appear eventually, of course. The Nationals always had surprise teams because of the nature of the format: a single game was all it took to change the course of the tournament. Single game eliminations meant variability, and high variability meant the better team didn't always win. For example, no one on Meiho last year had suspected that Kainan High would have played so well, taken Meiho High out of their comfort zone so consistently—Tamaki was certain that if there had been more games, Maki would have figured something out to contain Meiho completely. Likewise with Aiwa High, if they had met in the Finals.

But that was as far as Tamaki was willing to yield on the subject. Some had wondered what would have happened if Sannoh High had not lost early that year. The media was fully convinced that Sannoh High should have won it all. Convinced that Meiho High was lucky to face the second best team in the Nationals, Kainan High. Tamaki couldn't disagree more.

Last year's Sannoh High, touted as being their best team ever, were the lucky ones. Their entire team, along with Kawata Masashi, the so called top center in Japan, would have been publicly embarrassed by Morishige Hiroshi. Of this Tamaki had little doubt.

No team was a challenge for Meiho High, yet.

"_**This year's Nationals is going to be great for basketball," Maki smiled, expression coy. "I don't know what to expect. No one's scared of Sannoh anymore. People saw that they're not unbeatable. And you better watch out for our Kanagawa representatives this year; everyone else will be."**_

Tamaki frowned, remembering Maki's words to him yesterday. If there was an opinion that was universally respected amongst the high school basketball world, Maki Shinichi's would certainly be among the top. Winners had opinions that mattered, and Maki had a history of doing it.

Which was why Maki's expression back then had been burned into Tamaki's memory. The warning had been deliberate, but more importantly, accurate. This year, every team thought they could be a giant-killer. Meiho High did not have the history of domination that Sannoh did, so teams still foolishly believed that they had a chance. And Sannoh themselves, by falling to a no-name school last year, had shown their mortality. They had shown they were beatable.

As a result, no team was a clear favorite to win it all. Tamaki had later heard that Aoba had expressed no fear at the prospect of having to play Sannoh, if it had come to it. Tamaki would have had to agree with those thoughts. No team was invincible, not anymore.

So Tamaki would not forget Maki's warning. He would make sure that his team learned humility, their egos be damned.

Because they were the giants this year.

The final buzzer sounded. Game over.

Tamaki carefully closed his book and placed it on the side of the bench. He rose and stretched, his muscles cold from disuse. Some members of the team were celebrating around him, though Tamaki felt that was unnecessary: there was zero chance that they would be eliminated before the Round of Four, Tamaki believed.

Of course it was the younger players that were exchanging cheers and high-fives. That included Koga— who shouldn't be celebrating at all, the way he had played. Two of his turnovers had been so atrocious that Tamaki was already planning to give the point guard an earful once they got back into the lockers.

Another form rose next to Tamaki, majestic. The individual was a mammoth of a person, towering over every single player on the floor. An imposing wall of muscle, with a wide frame that practically blocked the glare of the gym lights above.

A giant.

"That game was boring, uncle."

Tamaki headed towards midcourt to shake their opponents' hands, not even bothering to watch the coach chide Morishige for failing to give their opponents proper respect. It was all an act, anyway. Tamaki knew the coach didn't respect Sansho High either.

Sansho High had thought, like too many this year, that they were a giant-killer. Tamaki could already see the looks of stunned defeat in most of their players' eyes. A few had tears because they had invested all they had into trying to win—only to be completely crushed. They had learned their lesson, in the end.

If any other teams wished to struggle, to try and defeat Meiho High, Tamaki would be ready. And when those teams appeared and stood underneath Meiho's shadow, they would remember why Meiho were still the champions.

* * *

_another arena_

"This is bad."

Aoba placed her face in her palms, looking completely at a loss. Even amongst the reserved crowd, who had long since quieted, she looked particularly horrified at the way the game was turning out. After an audible whimper Aoba tugged at her long, dark hair in frustration.

Yamamoto, sitting next to her, was about to have none of her childish antics.

"Stop your whining, girlie."

"'Whining?' Captain, are you watching a different game?" Aoba raised her head, her mussed hair and haggard appearance only accentuating her defeated tone. "I really think you are."

Yamamoto continued staring straight ahead, gaze stony. "Shohoku is winning."

"You don't get it. Shohoku is not _just _winning," Aoba looked back towards the game, voice drained of all her typical exuberance. "Shohoku is beating Katsura High by 20 and it's not even halftime. Their captain has barely played and Rukawa looks like he's sleepwalking out there. I can't gauge their true level of strength at all from this game!"

Yamamoto grunted, unimpressed. "It doesn't matter. They're a team that can take down Daiei High and Sannoh, so we know they're at least as good as them."

"It's not that simple. Different players have different strengths and—"

"You don't beat two teams like that by having favorable matchups alone," Yamamoto interrupted. "Sounds to me you're trying to find an excuse for why the other teams lost instead of figuring out how Shohoku won."

Aoba's expression turned to one of repulsion. "Harboring a bias not supported by facts? Who do you think I am? Our coach?"

"What did I say about—"

"I mean, the glorious and wise Ito-sensei?" Aoba straightened and capped her pen with a huff. "It's hard to take Shohoku High seriously when all evidence tells me they barely squeaked into the Nationals this year. Not to mention they added_ two_ starters just before qualifying. Tell me _that _doesn't mess with team chemistry."

"The redhead was on their team last year. He should know how things work on that team."

"I just think Daiei High and Sannoh were a bit unprepared to play them. We won't be." Aoba rose from her seat and squeezed past Yamamoto to get to the staircase leading out of the gym. "Now come on, our own match is starting soon and we have to show up early because Tanabe probably isn't going to be there and we're going to have to waste twelve minutes and forty seven seconds to find him. Average."

Yamamoto didn't immediately hop to her command, instead giving Aoba a serious look.

"Girlie. You're sounding like we can beat them already. I really don't like it."

Aoba patted her notebook, which was tucked under her arm. "Today's adjusted calculations for our chances of victory against Shohoku High is 72%. It used to be higher."

"I don't like it," Yamamoto repeated.

Aoba bristled, her earlier confidence now waning. "What don't you like about it?"

Yamamoto's grave stare was unwavering, causing Aoba to look away first out of discomfort. Aoba had long since learned that despite his lack of empirical evidence, Yamamoto's senses when it came to basketball were generally correct.

"Get your hands on whatever tape you can find of Shohoku's match yesterday," Yamamoto finally said. "You know as well as I do that we didn't learn much from watching today's match."

Aoba bit her lip. "I did get some infor—"

"I know you got some good notes today, but it's not enough. Find the tapes. Do whatever you can." Yamamoto rose, blocking the view of the fans sitting behind him. It didn't matter; unless they were rabid supporters of Katsura High or Shohoku High, the game didn't have much entertainment value with such lopsided scoring. "After we start playing today, you can go do whatever it is that you do to get what we need. Ito-sensei will probably be glad that you aren't bothering him on the sidelines, anyway. If we win I'll make sure that we have a film session on Shohoku right after."

Aoba placed a finger to her chin and tilted her head upwards, now lost in thought. "I suppose I can blackmail the—"

"Just get it done." Yamamoto brushed past her, making sure to stop after climbing a few steps so he didn't leave the manageress behind. "I don't believe we've seen what that team is about yet."

Aoba quickly fell into step behind Yamamoto. The two strode towards the gym's exits, silent. They were certainly a contrasting sight: aside from just their height, Yamamoto could be mistaken as Aoba's father given his grizzly appearance.

"By the way," Yamamoto spoke up, once they had made their way outside and stepped out into the morning sun, "I want you to get some rest. I mean it."

Aoba gave the taller man a surprised look. "What do you mean? I slept great last night."

"You've been working yourself like crazy. I got nervous just watching you today." Yamamoto stopped mid-gait, allowing Aoba with her much smaller legs to fully catch up to him and hear his instructions. "After you leave us the tapes, go back to the inn and get some rest. We can have another discussion tonight with Ito-sensei and the other players once we digest the material."

Aoba brushed some of her loose locks out of the way with the capped end of her pen. "But Tanabe won't be there tonight."

"He'll be there. I'll make him." He sighed when he saw Aoba gave him an incredulous raise of the eyebrow. "You have my word."

Aoba didn't look like she was ready to give in. But unnoticed to the duo, the gym doors had opened again and two more individuals had joined Aoba and Yamamoto outside. One of them, recognizing the two, quickly strode up and caught their attention after clearing his throat expectantly.

Yamamoto and Aoba turned and were greeted with a familiar face.

"Nezu!" Aoba said excitedly, her flailing spirits seeming to evaporate in a second.

"Hey there," Nezu Tatsuya replied evenly, offering Yamamoto a respectful nod first. The young man was dressed impeccably, looking more as if he had just left a job interview than a sports gym. However, unlike the more immaculate Maki from Kainan, Nezu was just sloppy enough with his dresswear to appear youthful and stylish—his shirt was not ironed and was untucked, his business pants hung loose, and his tie was loosened just so. To further his fashionable appearance, Nezu sported a faux-hawk and a bright stud earring glinted under the sunlight when he turned his head to flash Aoba a smile. "Hard at work as always, Aoba?"

"Nezu, I wish the others would learn from your example. Oh, how I wish they would," Aoba sniffled before she shot Yamamoto a dirty glare. "It took me quite a bit of effort just to bring our captain to this game."

Nezu gave Yamamoto a sympathetic look. "Still on her bad side?"

"I'm always on her bad side" was Yamamoto's indifferent reply. Aoba quickly flipped open her notebook, keeping her attention focused on Nezu.

"It's a good thing I caught you. Did you come to watch Shoji from Katsura High? You must not have heard the news. He's—"

"Injured. No, I heard the news from Tanabe last night. I just wanted to see Rukawa in action again. See how much his game has changed." Nezu's expression grew solemn. "Ever since the All-Japan training we had together last year, I haven't heard much noise from his front. Never got a chance to see another game of his."

"I have some footage of his game against Sannoh, if you're… never mind." Aoba shook her head. "I keep forgetting that about you."

Nezu didn't react to those words. While most players studied tape of the opposition, Nezu was very particular about how he did his research. One of his more outstanding peculiarities was the insistence to watch the player he was going to defend in live games—it was something that even some of his teammates couldn't understand, much less Aoba. But the results spoke for themselves, and thus no one questioned his methods.

"Anyway. I wanted to clarify something with you. Rukawa was double-teamed right from the start. Do you think—"

"We're not going to have to double-team him. I got it under control," Nezu said. "But whatever you were going to say, you're probably right."

"You flatter me! Come here, you." Aoba tried to grab Nezu in a hug but the young man simply took a step backwards to escape her clutches.

"Hey, Tatsuya. Introduce me to that cute girl you got there."

Nezu glanced over his shoulder, the other person he had exited with now stepping up to join the trio. While the new individual was only slightly taller, his build was quite different than the wiry Nezu; rotund, but not outright fat like Kawata Mikio of Sannoh. A glance at the person would be enough to discern that he was at least athletic, more stocky and thick than blubbery and soft. His hair was shaved in a close buzz-cut and he had the shadows of a moustache just above his lip.

"It's just our manageress. Aoba," Nezu identified shortly. Aoba, who had been pouting over Nezu refusing to accept her gesture of affection, now had a glint of recognition in her eye upon seeing Nezu's companion.

"Oh. You're Sakamoto Ryo, from Urayasu Shougyou." Aoba stepped forward.

Instead of bowing in greeting, as was customary, Sakamoto extended a hand. "It's nice to meet—"

"189 cm, 98 kg, currently a third year. All-Japan for the last two years. Averaging 23.1 points, 12.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 blocks a game. It's your best year in rebounding and assists and you currently have the distinction of holding the second-highest shooting percentage in this year's Nationals."

Sakamoto gave Aoba a long stare as she shook his hand, oblivious.

"I've also heard your blood type is B," Aoba added, totally unnecessarily.

"She greet everyone like this?' Sakamoto asked in disbelief, shooting Nezu a questioning look. Whatever Sakamoto had seen in her had disappeared in a hurry.

Nezu gave Yamamoto a discreet smile, the two enjoying how put off people were by Aoba's eccentric nature. "Most basketball players, yes."

"So I take it you know each other from All-Japan training," Aoba said, keeping the conversation going without a care. Sakamoto nodded, draping an arm across Nezu's shoulders.

"Yeah, I took Tatsuya here under my wing," Sakamoto said, giving Nezu an affectionate pat on the shoulder. "You're lucky to have this kid on your team, let me tell you that. Best defender in Japan today."

Aoba frowned. "That's a hyperbole, because in the professional basketball leagues—"

"I have a long way to go," Nezu cut in, resolving the argument before it could begin. "But I'll be sure to mentor the next group of All-Japan players with the same care you gave me, Sakamoto."

"Now don't be talking like that." Sakamoto's arm fell away, an admonishing tone sneaking into his voice. "I still have to kick your butt in the Nationals or else you won't have learned all that I can offer."

"You'd have to deal with our captain first," Nezu said evenly. Sakamoto glanced towards Yamamoto.

"That tall glass of water? I think I remember seeing you last year. Guys your size don't have heart. Used it all on height."

"You got a big mouth on you. Better watch it," Yamamoto growled disinterestedly. Sakamoto burst into laughter.

"Just kidding, big man! I'll give credit where credit is due, and if Tatsuya respects you then you've got mine." Sakamoto gave Aoba a prodding glance. "And how's mini-Moroboshi doing? His ribs healed yet?"

Aoba's brow knitted in confusion. "Noboru has never hurt his ribs before."

"Whatever that guy has. Whatever he has hurting."

"He's—"

"Junior is doing just fine," Yamamoto interrupted, giving Aoba a "don't-give-any-information-to-the-enemy" glare. Though Aoba hadn't been planning on giving Sakamoto anything useful, she was still surprised by Yamamoto's reaction... and also because she didn't know that such a glare existed. "You should be worried about your own team, first and foremost. Your next game could be your last, with that attitude."

Though outwardly he did not react to Yamamoto's scorn, Sakamoto's carefree demeanor seemed to sober just enough for the other Aiwa High players to detect the change. "I hurt your feelings, big man? If you got something to prove to me, why don't we get a ball and go a few rounds right now?"

"You're playing Seiho High today, I believe," Aoba said conversationally, flipping through her notebook after having heard Yamamoto's reference to the upcoming game. For once, Aoba's ability to block out things that were unimportant to her paid dividends as Sakamoto visibly relaxed.

"Yeah. Not going to even break a sweat today, though. We're going to beat them so hard the team is going to get their entire budget slashed for winter."

Aoba gaped at Sakamoto's bluntness. "You're playing a team that made it to the Round of 16—"

"They still stink," Sakamoto shrugged, not even letting Aoba finish. "Listen, I'm not here to_ just_ win a game or two. I'm not here _just _to get to the Finals."

Sakamoto's voice had dropped and his words were slower now, expression serious. "I'm going to conquer all of Japan. And if any of you get in my way, my team is gonna beat you too."

There was an uncomfortable pause before Sakamoto slapped Nezu on the back good-naturedly. "This includes you, Tatsuya! Now I'm not gonna stick around you stiffs, it's time for me to go get my pre-game meal so I can play to the best of my abilities."

While Sakamoto burst into hearty laughter, Aoba again seemed confused by Sakamoto's phrasing. "Pre-game meal? You mean like—"

"Three katsudons, a fried rice, and a bowl of miso soup." Sakamoto seemed to misinterpret Aoba's look of horror as disbelief and was quick to correct himself. "Oh, but if I can't find that I can always get something else. I like American hamburgers too."

"He's not joking," Nezu said simply as Aoba began to mutter about how this went against everything she had ever read about sports nutrition. Sakamoto gave Nezu another friendly pat on the back before he strode away, making sure to purposefully brush his shoulder against Yamamoto's with more force than was appropriate.

"Nice to meet your teammates, Tatsuya! Don't get knocked out today!" Sakamoto raised an arm in farewell.

"Same to you!" Nezu called back, not bothering to take his own hands out of his pockets. The Aiwa High members watched Sakamoto jog off, moving far faster than someone of his girth seemed capable of doing.

"I don't like him," Aoba announced as soon as Sakamoto was out of earshot. Yamamoto remained silent but clearly was in agreement.

"He's a good person, deep down. He says what he means, even if he's not always careful with what he says." Nezu gave Aoba a sidelong glance. "It's like some other people I happen to associate with."

"Yes, well, don't hang around his type too often," Aoba continued, not understanding what Nezu meant. She looked back down to her open notebook. "If I remember correctly, Urayasu will have to play against Meiho High in the next round even if they win today. So his team is as good as out."

"I wouldn't be too sure," Nezu said cryptically. Aoba didn't process the comment and instead continued to scan through the contents of her notebook.

"We should get going to our game too. We have an 84% chance of beating Josei High today." Aoba gave Yamamoto a hopeful look. "If Noboru gets a lot of playing time, it could be 84.002%."

"You're making that second part up," Yamamoto said, not even batting an eye.

"Eep. You're smarter than you look sometimes," Aoba squeaked, snapping the notebook shut.

Just as she did so, a small deluge of people began to exit the gym behind her. Aoba took a glance over her shoulder to gauge the intentions of those that were leaving the gym. Seeing that most weren't going far and seemed to be milling about, Aoba was quick to draw the correct conclusion about the circumstances of the Shohoku-Katsura game.

"It must be halftime. With so many contrasting expressions, the scores must not have changed drastically while we were out here." Aoba turned back to her teammates. "Let's hurry to the other gym. I told Noboru to drag Tanabe to the game but even he only has a 35% chance of succeeding."

"Did you get what you wanted from today's game, Aoba? Shohoku didn't play their true starting five for any extended period of time," Nezu said, not immediately making any move to leave. "I came in a bit late and feel like I didn't get a clear handle on Shohoku's style."

"Of course I didn't. But data is still data." Aoba tapped the cover of her notebook with her pen, a bright smile on her face. "I got some notes that could be useful. The Shohoku team is definitely playing differently from the tapes I saw before."

Nezu seemed dubious about her conclusions. "It doesn't have to do with the different players they have on the floor?"

"It's not just their teamwork. All of the players are showing slight, individual deviations from our tapes. And we were here since the game started, so I got an opportunity to see the starting five before Katsura High started to lose." Aoba paused. "It's a good thing we came. Shohoku is going to be tougher than I thought."

Yamamoto seemed to agree. "That redhead looks pretty good. I don't like playing against his type."

"He's no Morishige," Aoba commented, trying to cheer up the captain.

"No one is like that freak," Nezu said shortly. "And you've played better than most against that monster. The redhead shouldn't be as big a problem."

"Just don't like playing against his type," Yamamoto repeated. "From what I saw of your buddy just now, Nezu, that guy's also—"

Without pretense and without even warning the others, Aoba abruptly took a step backwards before bursting into a full run away from the group, causing Yamamoto to lose his train of thought as she left the two perplexed basketball players behind.

"Maki-senpai! Maki-senpai!" Aoba shouted as she moved farther and farther away, telling Yamamoto and Nezu all that they needed to know about what had caused her sudden exit. Nezu shook his head and gave Yamamoto an exasperated look.

"For a girl, you would think she would be cuter. But no, she has to act like _that_ all the time."

"Because there's something wrong. With her brain," Yamamoto stated, deadpan. "Don't know what junior sees in her."

Nezu chuckled. Yamamoto, for just a second, seemed to have a smile of his own as well. Before Nezu could confirm this rare event, the Aiwa High captain turned and made his way past the small crowd outside the gym.

"Wipe that smirk off," Yamamoto ordered as Nezu sauntered after him. "We have our own game to win today."


	71. Chapter 70

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Author's Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating this wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Reviews:**

HOORAY IT'S THE OLYMPICS!

Guest – Thanks for the review! There will definitely be Sakuragi-focused chapters in the future, because Sakuragi is still the main character!

Ciel – Aw shucks, thanks a lot for reviewing! I'm really happy you liked the chapter and I'm glad to hear that I did Ayako some justice.

Martin F – Let me say something first, man: thanks a lot for consistently reviewing my chapters and leaving awesome reviews like the ones you do. I'm really happy to discuss basketball and stuff with you and you've always been really good about being invested in the fic. and writing out your opinions on the characters and calling me out if I make mistakes, which I appreciate. So seriously, thanks.

First, about Moroshige's position: I think there are a few possible cases for what position he plays. Let's first get it out of the way that you're right: on Meiho's team last year there was a character that seemed to be as tall, or even taller, than Moroshige. This is shown after Meiho has beat out Aiwa High. The only question is what position that other guy plays. He's shown to be vice captain (#5) so it's part of the reason why I think he would have graduated and Moroshige, being the last big guy on their team, would be moved to center this year (and this way he would again "matchup" with Sakuragi if they got a chance to play).

So the cases in my mind while assessing Moroshige was a) Moroshige is PF, like you say, and the other guy is center b) Moroshige is backup C c) the OTHER guy is backup C d) the other guy is PF and Moroshige is C. I actually think it's slightly more likely that the case is c), and my reasoning for this is that it seems like Moroshige beat the other guy out for the position. I say that because the other player is never shown on the court even when the scores are close. There is no clear evidence for this though, and I do agree that I think Moroshige is meant to be Sakuragi's rival later in the manga. I always felt Inoue knew he couldn't continue the manga realistically after making a team like Sannoh and thus never explored the battle, even though he clearly intended to. I don't know how he would have made Sakuragi match up directly with Moroshige because of the different positions—it might have been a Akagi-Sakuragi team-up against the guy.

As for Tamaki's opinion: the truth of the matter is I also DON'T think Meiho would have won because Sannoh last year was just too powerful, with too much balance in their roster and a great coach to boot. Doumoto would have figured out something, and if he didn't, Sawakita would have been too good to stop. Meiho would not have been easy to beat, but Tamaki acting like Sannoh was a pushover is obviously just his opinion because he had the luxury of NOT playing them last year. And I think Masashi and Moroshige are different players but both would have been extremely good, without one being clearly better than the other. So Tamaki's belief that Meiho would have "embarrassed" Sannoh is meant to emphasize the championship swagger, which as some might not know is a belief that their team was the very best and capable of beating anyone. It's also why Tamaki is disinterested in the game because Meiho High are the champions, and as Tamaki mentions, anything less than a trip back to the Round of Four is out of the question for him. Tamaki's opinion on the matter can't be taken as fact—for instance, he believes there is no team to threaten Meiho, while Nezu already believes that Sakamoto, and Urayasu, may be a team capable of doing so…

In this chapter it's going to be revealed that Ryonan won and are still in the Nationals, but their next matchup is not Meiho. Aoba mentioned that Urayasu is Meiho High's next matchup in the previous chapter.

Nigel – Before I say anything else: thanks for recommending Pacific Rims to me. I got my copy and started reading it a few days ago. So far it is really outstanding stuff.

And hoping not just those players you listed, but that you too, will get better soon! I think the Clippers can't really contend for a championship until the management really gets their heads together and gets good personnel, not just on the court but also for coaches and ownership and stuff. That being said, they have a really nice roster and if Griffin stays healthy they can make some noise in the West.

I don't have Twitter but I'll check in on yours once in a while so I can read how you're doing! Thanks again for the review!

* * *

**Chapter 70 – Competitors**

This was not the Akira Sendoh that Miyagi knew.

Miyagi watched as Sendoh, after a visible struggle, finally shake his defender and take off for the basket. Just as Sendoh was about to swoop in for a dunk, a Sasaoka High player slid right in front of Sendoh's path. Sendoh instantly reacted and heaved a no-look pass to the corner where Uekusa was wide-open and waiting.

And then Sendoh barreled right into the other player, knocking the two of them onto the floor and eliciting a whistle from the referee.

"Offensive foul! White, #4!"

Immediately Sendoh picked himself off the floor, not waiting for his teammates to help him back to his feet. As other Sasaoka High players helped their own comrade up Sendoh, in perhaps the most blatant display of frustration that Miyagi had seen from the ace, stalked past everyone and wandered off towards the half-court line. Alone.

That was what made it hit home for Miyagi. Sendoh needing his own space, to deal with his irritation. Miyagi had never seen something like that.

It didn't suit Sendoh, almost. And it certainly didn't suit the situation. Ryonan High was in the lead by 15 with a little over 3 minutes left in the game. Not an insurmountable lead and Sasaoka High could certainly come back, but by Miyagi's estimation, Ryonan High was secure. A palpable shift in the atmosphere signaling a change in momentum (something that Miyagi could sense easily when he was not playing) had not taken place. Ryonan High, if they continued to play solid basketball, could be assured of a win. There should be no need for frustration.

So it was strange. To see one of Kanagawa's brightest star players, widely proclaimed to be a natural at the sport and dubbed a "Genius" by the media, look so… ordinary.

"Defenses have already adjusted to him," Hiroshi noted quietly, the freshman speaking up for the first time since he had gotten to his seat. Next to him Rukawa remained silent, expression belying nothing. And back on the courts Sendoh shook his head, his typical bright smile nowhere visible.

Despite coming to this game late, Miyagi knew if he learned anything it would be worth it; any knowledge could prove useful later on in the Nationals. He wished that Mitsui would have been here to help offer insight, but the vice-captain had been dragged away by Sakuragi moments after the team had left the lockers following their game. Miyagi straightened in his seat, trying to get a better view of the courts.

Miyagi felt a bit antsier today than usual, attributing it to the abundant amount of rest he had gotten earlier today. The match against Katsura High had been far smoother than anyone had anticipated and gave Miyagi just enough time to make it to the arena housing the Ryonan High-Sasaoka High game. While Miyagi didn't appreciate having limited minutes at this stage of the competition, that the Katsura High game had been one-sided was a blessing: nearly all the starters had an opportunity to rest their legs, save for Sakuragi and Hiroshi. Though Miyagi had not asked, he assumed that Anzai was concerned about giving the two as much experience and playing time as possible. This was particularly important for Hiroshi, whose relative inexperience in the Nationals and tendency to fizzle out during a long game were certainly worrisome factors.

As Ryonan High moved back onto defense due to the turnover, Miyagi caught Koshino patting Sendoh on the rear and leaving behind a brief word of encouragement.

"I guess it's nice to see that Sendoh's human," Hiroshi commented, a small smile sneaking across his face. While Miyagi had not expected those words, it made sense—Sendoh had been Hiroshi's introduction to a true basketball star, after Rukawa.

"I've never seen him like this," Miyagi admitted, eyes narrowing. "Maybe the pressure of the Nationals is starting to wear on him."

Rukawa sighed, just loudly enough for Miyagi and Hiroshi to glance towards the star player questioningly. The second-year remained quiet, apparently having nothing to really say… or choosing not to say what had crossed his mind.

"Anyway. Any thoughts on Sasaoka's defense? Hiroshi?" Miyagi asked after the lull in conversation. While Miyagi could read the defense easily from experience alone, he knew to trust Hiroshi to pick something up he might otherwise overlook. Point guards sometimes had different interpretations of a play than another position would, so Hiroshi's ability to see the bigger picture was helpful.

"Nothing we don't already do. Trying to force the ball out of Sendoh's hands, making his teammates take the shots. Crowd the paint so Sendoh can't get to the basket. If anything I'd say they over-prepared for Sendoh." Hiroshi paused. "It's probably why they can't catch up. Did you guys see that spin move by Takuma earlier? He's playing better than I thought he would."

Miyagi took a second to remember—it had not been a spectacular play. Hiroshi must have been paying special attention to Ryonan's freshman center. "Worried about your old rival?"

Hiroshi didn't tear his attention from the game. "He was always better than me. But he's widening the gap, I think."

It was not the first time Miyagi was impressed by Hiroshi's demeanor; while some may have gotten defensive or pessimistic, Hiroshi had merely said the words with complete neutrality. Pure objectivity was a rare trait, especially for someone of Hiroshi's age. Miyagi had not learned to be completely objective on the court until even just last winter. It was important for teammates to recognize each other's weaknesses as well as strengths—failing to admit either stunted growth for both the player and the team.

This must have been why Anzai rarely seemed to devote much time to the development of Hiroshi: the freshman either figured it out on his own or listened to his teammates' criticisms.

And Miyagi knew that this was one of those moments where he should offer some criticism of his own to the rookie. "Are you going to just let him keep getting better than you? I'm expecting better than that."

"Of course not," Hiroshi agreed without hesitation, that analytical stare that Miyagi was growing to recognize and respect resurfacing in the freshman's eyes. "He still has some weaknesses in his game. If we have to play them again I'll check him."

"That's what I want to hear," Miyagi smiled, refocusing his attention on the game just in time to see Fukuda soar in and grab a rebound. "Do you know who Ryonan played yesterday?"

"Sorry. I was beat after we had to help Sakuragi with the pick and roll. I spent the rest of the night studying Katsura High tape," Hiroshi explained. Miyagi noted the rasp in Hiroshi's voice was all but gone: an important development, given that it would be necessary for the teammates to communicate with one another on the court for their next game.

"They played Hori High. A rank," Rukawa finally spoke up, voice quiet.

Miyagi's eyes widened upon hearing the news. "Geez. They beat an A rank team too? How is Sendoh having trouble here?"

"You can never predict basketball, can you?" Hiroshi smiled, looking as if he was about to say more—but at the exact same moment, Uekusa passed the ball off to Sendoh.

The Shohoku members fell silent as they watched Sendoh hold the ball away from his defender, considering his options carefully. Miyagi's imagination fired up, picturing what he would do in the same situation. Sasaoka High was indeed carrying out what Hiroshi had previously mentioned: cutting off Sendoh with a pack line defense.

The pack defense was a defensive formation heavily relying on discipline—while one defender constantly hounded Sendoh, the other four off-the-ball defenders were forced to continually adjust their positions to have optimal spacing, ready to immediately come over to help and stop the ball if necessary. Though it was a team defense used to cover up the flaws of less athletic defenders, when performed correctly, it would be a way to contain talented, athletic wing players such as Sendoh. And by doing so, Sasaoka High could effectively cut off one of Sendoh's strengths: his elite decision-making during penetration.

As the shot clock wound down and Sendoh patiently waited for an opening, Miyagi could only shake his head. Ryonan High's offense seemed content to let Sendoh rescue them—none of the other players were moving, to try and force Sasaoka High's defense into a disadvantage.

Perhaps it was because their ace had never failed them before.

"They need to move the ball," Hiroshi said in a stage whisper, identifying the problem just as Miyagi had. "No way Fukuda can't find a way to the basket if something opens up."

"Yeah, but Sendoh isn't calling for a screen. I wonder what's up with that," Miyagi commented. Just as he said those words Sendoh exploded forward, trying desperately to lose his defender. But the outcome was as Miyagi had expected: though Sendoh was quick enough to lose the first defender, the second one was already there, angling Sendoh towards the sides of the court rather than letting him drive down the middle.

Sendoh made a quick spin move and shot a pass back out to Uekusa, seeming to admit defeat. But in the very next instant Sendoh pivoted and charged for the basket without the ball, getting open for the briefest of moments. But that moment was far too short—the defender put a hand in the passing lane, preventing Uekusa from getting the ball back to their ace. Miyagi couldn't blame Uekusa for not taking advantage of that window: Miyagi knew that even he himself would not have tried such a risky pass.

Uekusa instead shot a perfect bounce pass down to Fukuda, who was similarly cutting down the lane. Just as Hiroshi had anticipated, the Ryonan High forward had somehow found a gap in Sasaoka's positioning. By the time the defense could sag off Sendoh, Fukuda was already laying the ball up and in, extending Ryonan High's lead to 17.

As far as Miyagi was concerned, those two points signified the end of the game. Rukawa seemed to think similarly and was already getting to his feet.

"Do you think Sendoh is frustrated about something, Rukawa?" Miyagi asked, despite himself.

Rukawa glanced down towards Miyagi, his blank stare betraying nothing.

"He's playing at full strength," Rukawa said simply and squeezed past Miyagi to get to the aisles, not commenting further. But the implications were clear.

Sendoh was playing at full strength. And not able to score at will.

This was the strength of the Nationals. It shouldn't have been a surprise—it was Sendoh's first appearance here, after all. But if Sendoh was struggling, Miyagi could only think of one thing: who was to say Rukawa wouldn't be next?

Miyagi shook his head, trying to get rid of these excess thoughts.

Focus on winning, Miyagi told himself. The only thing he could control was making sure his team was prepared. The rest would be decided on the courts.

"Let's get out of here Hiroshi," Miyagi said, rising. Hiroshi didn't immediately budge, instead shooting Miyagi a sidelong glance.

"I wonder what Rukawa-senpai got from the game. It's probably a lot different than what we saw."

Miyagi shrugged. "I doubt it, but you probably know him better than I do at this point. Doesn't he always talk to you?"

"Mostly about how bad I am."

"He does that with Sakuragi, too. Except I guess Sakuragi deserves it. And he knows better than to talk to me or Mitsui like that."

"Funny," Hiroshi said, a smile stretching across his face. "Wouldn't have thought that after the post-game interview today."

Miyagi stared wide-eyed at Hiroshi for a second before he managed a surprised chuckle, the moment rising back to his memory.

* * *

_earlier_

"Miyagi-kun? Miyagi Ryota?"

The Shohoku captain, previously heading for the lockers with his teammates, stopped in place upon catching sight of a familiar face.

Aida Yayoi quickly strode up to the point guard, a notepad in hand. The other Shohoku starters that had been filing away, now seeming to recognize the reporter (if the "press" armband didn't make it clear enough), decided that this development was of more pressing importance than getting cleaned up and began to crowd around their captain.

"Miyagi-kun, could I please hear some of your thoughts on the game?"

"Uh…" Miyagi shot a glance over towards the two manageresses, making it clear that he thought Anzai would be better served in this position. Ayako instantly picked up on Miyagi's discomfort and could only shake her head—Anzai was already in the lockers with the rest of the team.

"Sure," Miyagi agreed, trying his best to keep his voice even. Yayoi didn't notice his anxiety and began firing questions at a rapid-fire pace.

"Shohoku is now officially in the Round of Eight. Did you see yourself being able to go this far?"

"Well, of course we did. Or else we wouldn't be playing," Miyagi replied, trying to recall the types of things his favorite sportspeople said during interviews on television. Ayako overheard the cookie-cutter answer and her nose wrinkled in distaste, though Miyagi was unable to see his girlfriend's expression behind him.

"Did knowing that Machida Shoji was injured give your team an extra boost?"

"No, we didn't even know he was injured until a few minutes before the game. Speaking for myself, I wouldn't have minded it if we had to play them at full-strength."

"I see." Yayoi scribbled some things in her notepad as she continued speaking. "Your team is starting to gain attention from numerous media outlets, being cited as one of the dark horses to win it all. This is quite the accomplishment, given that Shohoku didn't even qualify during for the winter tournaments last year. How does that make you feel?"

"We're not worried about what the media says. We're going to focus on ourselves and play our best everyday."

"That's such a lie. Look at how Ryo-chin straightened after hearing that," Sakuragi mumbled to Hiroshi. Miyagi ignored that.

"And how has this Nationals been different from last year?"

"It's been—"

"Wait. Now I remember you! Where's our magazine cover from last—"

Miyagi blocked out the sound of Mitsui silencing Sakuragi through what must have been a headlock. "It's been pretty much the same. The competition is tough but we can match up against anybody."

"Rukawa-kun has been playing at an incredibly high level. Do you think he can maintain his play throughout the rest of the tournament?"

"Rukawa is our…" Miyagi paused, trying to gather his thoughts. Coming up with these answers on the fly was far harder than he had thought, especially because he knew that he had to be diplomatic. "He's our ace, and…"

"Another lie! You have to be honest with the press, Ryo-chin!" Sakuragi must have escaped Mitsui's grasp. Too bad.

"Sakuragi-senpai, please calm down. Captain is trying to give his—"

"Hiro, I can't believe you support this. Ryo-chin, did you forget this Tensai right behind you?"

"…and I have faith that he'll step up his play whenever we need him to."

Yayoi seemed oblivious to the increasing ruckus behind Miyagi. "And what are your chances if Rukawa-kun performs poorly?"

"Excuse me?"

"Most people view Rukawa-kun as being the only thing keeping your team in the Nationals. What would you do if—"

"Hang on." Miyagi's eyes narrowed, a nerve struck. "Could you repeat that? Rukawa is the only thing keeping our team in the Nationals?"

"That's what has been reported, yes." Yayoi was quick to correct herself, sensing Miyagi's disapproval with the direction the interview was taking. "Off the record, I don't think that way. I saw you guys last year, if you remember, so I know—"

"Well you can report this, then," Miyagi said, voice rising as he began emptying his honest thoughts without further concern for diplomacy. "Shohoku is strong. You get that? Shohoku is strong. No one on this team is untalented. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my teammates and I have confidence in all my guys that they'll play to win every single time we get on the courts. I also know that they'll make the right decision when the game is on the line. So I really don't care if Rukawa has a bad game or if I have a bad game or anyone else has a bad game because another one of us will step in and take their place. And in the end we'll beat any team that comes our way and that's all that matters."

Miyagi took a breath, eyes fiery with the same passion he had put into his rant. There was a brief hush as everyone digested what the Shohoku captain had said.

"…he doesn't mean you though, Sakuragi."

"Shut up, Micchi! And stop nodding, fox!"

Yayoi cleared her throat, a hint of a genuinely satisfied smile on her face. The answer had resonated with her well. "Thank you, Miyagi-kun. And my final question: who would get the last shot of the game, if it came down to it?"

"Me!"

All the Shohoku players froze. Though Yayoi had been asking Miyagi the question, Mitsui, Rukawa, and Sakuragi behind him had given the same answer as their captain. Hiroshi simply shook his head in exasperation, having expected this response.

There was a long, awkward silence. The four players stared at each other, an unspoken tension now choking the atmosphere.

And then chaos ensued.

"Hanamichi? The last shot? What are you, joking?"

"Ryo-chin! What was that about trusting all of us just now? You dare doubt the ability of this Tensai?"

"I'm not doubting. I'm just saying that even the _idea _of it is a joke."

"You're getting too full of yourself, Ryo-chin. The person marking you today was just daring you to shoot! Maybe you should spend some time and work on that, like this Tensai did!"

"I hate to agree with Sakuragi but no one is going to guard you if you want the last shot, Miyagi."

"Oh yeah, old man? You're so slow that they could send a snail to guard you and you still wouldn't get an open shot."

"At least I can _make_ an open shot."

A sigh. "Dou ahous."

A shocked pause.

"What'd you say, fox? You want a piece?"

"Maybe stop getting faked out, first."

"I'll kill you!"

"Easy, Hanamichi! Hiro, hold him back!"

"Don't get me started on you, Rukawa. You're the only guy that thinks shooting from a triple team is a smart decision."

"…Better than any of you shooting it."

"I swear Rukawa, if you really think that way we can have a shoot-off. Right now. The court is right over there."

"Why? So senpai can cheat again?"

"You always bring that up as an excuse. I told you I was behind the three-point line and there was no way you could have saw—"

Yayoi could only watch in quiet shock as order completely collapsed. Ayako and Haruko were already stepping in, trying to separate the starters from each other before fists were thrown.

And that was the end of Shohoku High's first interview of the Nationals.

* * *

_present_

As Hiroshi rose from his seat and slid past Miyagi towards the exits, the Shohoku captain couldn't help but look back towards the courts one final time.

Sendoh was once again in control of himself, his expression placid as he directed his team back onto defense. The earlier moment of weakness was now completely gone; the Sendoh that Miyagi remembered was now the one to shout out orders to his players, telling everyone where they should be.

If Miyagi could detect one thing different between the team before him and the Uozumi-led Ryonan of last year, it would have to be the confidence of each of their players' movements across the court. The cohesiveness, the conviction. Sendoh was a maestro of the highest order, one of the best playmakers that Miyagi had ever seen. And it showed in Ryonan, now. What might have been an embarrassing first appearance in the Nationals for Sendoh was now a miracle run deep into the tournament.

Without a doubt, today's game would end in Ryonan High's favor. Both Kanagawa teams would be making the Round of Eight.

Round of Eight.

Those words still seemed unreal. Even though their own game had ended about two hours ago, Miyagi couldn't quite believe it.

Round of Eight.

No matter what happened from here on out, Shohoku this year would be remembered for being at least as good as the eighth best team in all of Japan. This monumental rise should be enough to prove to everyone that Shohoku's strength was no fluke. That none of their players could be taken lightly.

But Miyagi knew that they couldn't be satisfied with just this, though. Akagi wouldn't have been.

Shohoku had one goal. That would never change.

And for Miyagi to be the number 1 point guard meant he would have to show all of Japan why he deserved that title.

Miyagi turned and made his way out of the gym. The thought of Ryonan resembling Sendoh remained with him, and for a moment Miyagi couldn't help but wonder if the new Shohoku also reflected it's own captain; flawed but fearless, unflappable against all odds. He could only hope that by the time Shohoku conquered the nation that answer would be clear not just to him, but to everyone in the basketball world.

* * *

The blazing afternoon sun beat down on Hiroshima, an acute reminder of summer. Along the streets, two young men that towered over most of the population strode single-minded through a business district of the city, oblivious to the prodding glances that they were getting from passerbys. But it was not their height that stood out; rather, it was the way the gigantic red-headed boy trailed after the handsome, well-built young man like a puppy wanting to return an object to its owner.

And in this case, the object was a basketball.

"Micchi! Come on! Let's try the pick and roll again!"

"I already told you there's no point! Stop bringing it up like this!"

"But I need more than one person to practice it, right?"

Mitsui stopped in place, heaving a sigh in frustration as Sakuragi finally managed to catch up. While the redhead thought this meant Mitsui was giving in to his demands, the vice-captain instead shot Sakuragi an aggravated glare.

"You don't need to just _practice_ it. You can already set screens. What you need are people to defend the pick and roll so you know how to make the right decisions." Mitsui again strode off, not letting Sakuragi get a word in. "Unless you rope in Miyagi and Hiroshi like yesterday, it'd be a waste of our time."

Sakuragi considered those words for a few moments before he glanced over his shoulder, where four familiar faces were obediently following the two basketball players. "I thought just having Mito and the others would be enough…"

"They don't know how to defend a pick and roll! And I thought you guys would know better than to listen to this guy when it came to basketball!" Mitsui shouted, not even bothering to look over his shoulder while he reprimanded Sakuragi and the Army.

"He's the leader," Youhei said shortly, the other Sakuragi Army members nodding in agreement.

Mitsui continued walking off and clicked his tongue in irritation, shocked that he would be in such a foul mood after Shohoku's win earlier this morning. Sakuragi had a way of grating his nerves that he didn't know was possible.

Before he could make any more progress back to the inn, Sakuragi, as if by magic, gave the shooter a heavy clap on the back.

"Micchi!" Mitsui practically nailed Sakuragi across the face with a punch for scaring him—he had thought that the redhead was much farther away. How Sakuragi had seemingly teleported to Mitsui's side was a mystery, one that Mitsui didn't dare to ponder. "You look more shaken up than usual! Did you get too much rest today on the bench?"

"'Shaken up?'" Mitsui gave Sakuragi a sidelong glance after taking a few moments to calm his thumping heart. After a considering pause, Mitsui refocused his attention forward, no longer looking directly at his teammate. "You're not, Sakuragi?"

"Hm?"

"We just went further than we ever have before. We got handed a game today." Mitsui met Sakuragi's eyes. "Our opponents from here on out will be among the best in the nation. And we have a target on our backs at this point. Bigger than ever before."

Sakuragi had a blank look on his face as Mitsui continued speaking.

"The further you get into the tournament, the higher the stakes are. That's because we're closer and closer to our goal. If you lose early on, there's only disappointment. But if we can see our goal… perceptions change. It could affect our playing." Mitsui held up a fist. "We're so close now we can almost grab it. Just three more wins and we're the champions. And if we lose just one game… it's all over.

"So you don't feel anything even knowing that, Sakuragi?"

Sakuragi mulled over the words for no more than a few seconds. Instead of agreeing or disagreeing, the redhead gave Mitsui a cheerful grin instead, completely unmindful of the weight of Mitsui's words or experience.

"I don't understand those things. This Tensai is just here to play basketball."

Mitsui smiled right back, despite himself.

While they were busy chatting, the sliding doors of the convenience store that Mitsui and Sakuragi had been standing in front of noiselessly parted. An individual jogged out, his movements sure even before he exited, making it clear that he had recognized the two Shohoku players from inside the shop.

Matsumaru Daisuke of Daiei High held a hand up in greeting, his afro making him easily recognizable to Mitsui.

"Yo! What're you guys doing out here?"

Mitsui nodded curtly towards Matsumaru, not in much mood to talk to the point guard. "Hey. Still around for the rest of the games?"

"There's basketball to watch, man! Ain't gonna miss that for nothing." Matsumaru gave the Sakuragi Army a nod as ways of introducing himself. "Heard you guys won today from Toshiya. I went to go cheer on my boys at Sansho."

"Toshiya came to watch us?" Mitsui asked incredulously.

Just as Mitsui said so, another form slowly shuffled out of the store, coughing all the while. Iyama Toshiya sidled up next to Matsumaru, his shoulders hunched.

"Stop jetting around. I need time to think," Toshiya wheezed, reprimanding Matsumaru for having left him behind.

"Ah! It's you! Sick guy!" Sakuragi identified, pointing a finger directly at Toshiya. The Daiei high vice-captain blinked in response, looking dazed for some reason or another.

"Shohoku folk," Toshiya coughed, taking a few moments to remember their faces. "Weird seeing you guys out here."

"What's weirder is we just heard you came to watch us play," Mitsui said conversationally.

Toshiya paused for a moment, fumbling with his pockets with one hand and pointing to Sakuragi's basketball with the other. "I get it now. You guys wanted to go to that public basketball court?"

"No we're not," Mitsui decided on behalf of the group, cutting in before Sakuragi could come up with some sort of scheme.

Even away from the game, Toshiya's thought processes seemed curt and oftentimes disjointed. While Mitsui had believed that Toshiya had mumbled and gave short comments because of the pace of the game, it was clear that the way Toshiya had behaved on the court was exactly how he behaved off it.

As Toshiya hacked and wheezed to fill the silence, he finally pulled out a small carton from his pockets. Mitsui's eyes widened in shock upon seeing what it was.

A box of cigarettes.

Mitsui felt a strange sort of fury well up in him as Toshiya offered the pack to Matsumaru first, who shook his head in response.

"You call yourself a basketball player?"

Toshiya stared at Mitsui blankly, not showing whether or not he had detected the malice behind Mitsui's tone. Instead he continued opening the box, flipping open the lid without looking directly at the contents as he reached in. Mitsui gestured towards the pack of cigarettes in Toshiya's hands in irritation, now understanding why the other player seemed to have respiratory problems.

In response, Toshiya held the package out for Mitsui.

"Get that crap away from me," Mitsui said hotly.

Toshiya did so, pulling a cigarette out as he re-pocketed the box. He continued staring straight at Mitsui, deliberately bringing the cigarette up to his lips.

And then bit clean through.

Mitsui was now the one to do the staring, as did Sakuragi and his Army.

"They're candy cigarettes," Matsumaru explained on Toshiya's behalf, finally catching on. "He's always been a sweets lover, you dig?"

As Toshiya started to cough again, Mitsui and Sakuragi shot each other discreet looks. Even Sakuragi seemed to have a limit to the amount of weirdness he was willing to deal with from other people.

"Where's that rookie of yours? I needed to settle something. It's been nagging at me." Toshiya seemed unaffected, and frankly oblivious, to all the commotion around him. Mitsui sighed and felt his muscles slacken, deciding it was for the best that they just move on from the misunderstanding.

"I don't know. Probably at the inn," Mitsui answered, genuinely unsure of where the other Shohoku members had gone after the game. Toshiya again refocused on Sakuragi's ball as Mitsui spoke, a glint now in the Daiei High player's eyes.

With that frightening quickness that Mitsui had seen while guarding him, Toshiya's arm lashed out and plucked the ball clean from Sakuragi's hands before the redhead could even register that it had been stolen.

"I guess I can settle on you," Toshiya announced to Mitsui, ignoring Sakuragi belatedly throwing a fit as he held the ball up in one hand and took another bite of candy with the other.

"Let's go. One-on-one."


	72. Chapter 71

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Author's Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating this wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Reviews:**

Martin F – Basketball is the most awesomest awesome sport!

It's Morishige! I spelled it completely wrong in my response to you because I don't know why. But it's correct in the fic. itself so that means I don't have to go back to correct it, so less work for me! Thanks for making me double-check though—I used to spell Fukuda's name wrong when I first started the fic.

One-man teams always have it very tough, but just like if you have a one-dimensional game, you have to work on it! Sendoh and Ryonan will have to do the same if they want to stay in the Nationals.

Thanks so much for reviewing!

Ciel – Uh oh, if Aoba acts like you I hope that you don't go around pestering people with a notebook and spouting random statistical information!

Hooray for the Olympics! They were great again this year! Always have a great time watching it.

Ka22hanaN – For Kuwata, I think that he's not an especially good player and he doesn't have a high ceiling because of his height. If you don't have height you have to have other outstanding talents and he's never shown that he has any in the manga. In the manga his first introduction says he used to play forward and Akagi immediately encourages him to develop skills necessary to play the guard positions, so I don't think he has good ball-handling skills and has to work on them. Now that being said, I think just like the other Shohoku players he has a lot of heart and drive and determination, which are very important traits to have in the team. If he played forward he probably has some very basic scoring abilities like layup and such, and he probably has an okay basketball IQ, but nothing that would be at an elite level. Bottom line is Kuwata can probably play some productive minutes at the guard position but he would be a liability overall because of his lack of height and athleticism, which is why he's used very sparingly in my writings of him in my fic.

Nigel – Finished Pacific Rims and I loved it. Outstanding writing.

Sendoh is adjusting his game and adjusting to the pressure of the Nationals, like you said. I hope that he can turn it around too!

Something that always came to mind for me when I was reading the manga was that guys like Akagi and Kogure were extremely coachable. Anzai is a brilliant tactician, but a lackadaisical coach outside of games at best. It was really up to Akagi to actively manage the team outside of gametime and so in my mind, the only people that would succeed at Shohoku were those that were extremely talented, or those that were really motivated and cerebral and could learn on their own. Akagi, Kogure, and in this fic., Hiroshi fall into the latter—they have to really work on their games and spend extra time to keep up with the others, but Anzai is such a flexible coach that if you work hard you'll get minutes.

As for interviews... are we talkin' bout practice?

Mitsui IS a grumpy old guy. He's a fourth year, man! XD Thanks for the review!

KoiGirlPGSM – Thanks so much!

Laziness Incarnate – "Although I had wondered at first if he was faking his frustration in order to draw all the defenders' attention to him."

Asdf. Are you hacking my computer and reading my plot notes? I think you are. You are ridiculously close to why Sendoh was pissed off; it will be revealed at some point. And that point will be later. (Why am I such a slow writer.)

You don't like cliff hangers? Have another one.

Sure thing, here's a list of the characters for all OC characters and teams in my fic. that have been revealed or mentioned. In addition, it is not revealed in the manga who won it all in the end—in my fic., the finals were Kainan vs Meiho, with Meiho barely winning.

**Ryonan**

Okada Takuma

**Kainan**

Uchimura Takeshi

Tezuka Taro

Abe Masami

**Sannoh**

Takasuka Keita

Nakamura Yoshito

Yamaguchi Sato

**Daiei High**

Matsumaru Daisuke

Iyama Toshiya

Hirai Akihiro

Shimoda Ken

Sorimachi Hiromu

**Aiwa High**

Aoba

Moroboshi Noboru

Yamamoto Joji

Nezu Tatsuya

Tanabe

Komatsu

**Meiho High**

Koga

Tamaki Hayato

Goto Shingo

Morishige Hiroshi

**Urayasu High**

Sakamoto Ryo

And the knowledge that we could have nerded out over Slam Dunk and various other medias in real life over your national foods such as poutine (better than I expected, by the way) just makes me upset. Maybe some other time.

aznpikachu215 – Sendoh has a lot to live up to and a lot of responsibility, so we can only hope that he can show everyone his true talent again!

You're correct, Anzai would have to adjust his team completely because Miyagi and Mitsui are absolutely great players. Unless Anzai is lucky to recruit other good players he's going to have a tough time with what he has left at Shohoku. And even Rukawa is not guaranteed to stay—remember, he's always trying to find a time to leave for America. Thanks for the review!

SleepyBeyondReasoning – Thank you so much for the review! Eesh, I hope by the time you get here you aren't completely burnt out…

* * *

**Chapter 71 – Move Forward**

"I can't think of the last time that I _didn't_ want to play a one-on-one this badly."

"Micchi, you better win! Win me back my ball or I'm telling the old man on you!"

"…That's probably why," Mitsui sighed as surveyed the public courts, the exact same one the group had been in last night to teach Sakuragi the pick and roll. Since there was still a healthy amount of sunlight, the courts were teeming with people and many that moved across the court had enough grace and athleticism for Mitsui to know that they were familiar with basketball. The public courts, likely the best available one in the vicinity, did seem to be getting a great deal of foot traffic from people interested in the Nationals, high-school players and otherwise: a few people seemed to be sneaking Mitsui and Toshiya "I-think-I know-those-guys" glances.

"Not in the mood to play?" Toshiya coughed, any sort of expression he might have had indecipherable behind his messy hair.

"That's what I've been saying this entire time. This entire way here."

"We're lucky. There's an open court over there."

"You're not even listening to me, are you?"

Toshiya clearly wasn't as he shuffled straight for one of the open half-courts. Mitsui could hear Sakuragi and his Army trailing behind them, with Matsumaru chatting along in that strange lingo of his and seeming to fit in quite well with the rest of the Army for some reason or another.

As soon as Mitsui stepped onto the street court, Toshiya tossed the ball he had stolen from Sakuragi right over his shoulder. This blind pass, however, was impeccably delivered and Mitsui only had to reach upwards to catch the ball.

Mitsui couldn't help but feel intrigued again. Mitsui had sensed that Toshiya was not quite an ordinary player even as early as the first time Toshiya had made a basket during the game yesterday. But as Toshiya settled at the free-throw line, brushing just enough hair from his vision so he could get a good look at his surroundings, Mitsui now knew that Toshiya's skills could not be doubted.

He was a legitimate basketball threat. Tsuchiya had selected his vice-captain well.

"You take out. I never got a chance to see a lot of your play," Toshiya coughed once he was done gauging the size of the court.

That comment was interesting in of itself. It appeared that Toshiya seemed to share a similar interest in Mitsui's ability.

The Shohoku vice-captain tried his best to look uninterested, bouncing the ball over to Toshiya for the check.

"What are the rules?" Mitsui asked.

"Let's do the one-on-one drills we run back home." Toshiya held up two fingers as he tapped the ball right back to Mitsui. "Score only goes up to two. A miss is an instant change of possession. We play by ones. Winner takes out. Good high pressure practice."

"You sure you want to only play up to two?"

"Those are the rules."

Mitsui glanced down towards his feet, making sure that he was outside the three-point arc.

"How much does the three count as?"

"It counts as two," Toshiya coughed, lowering into defensive position. "So that way—"

_Swish._

Toshiya stopped mid-sentence as Mitsui shook out his shooting hand nonchalantly.

"Guess that's game. We done here?"

Toshiya continued staring at Mitsui for nearly a full five seconds before blinking.

"Captain never did something like that," Toshiya said, almost accusingly as he straightened back up.

"Well I'm not on your team, you weirdo."

"He got you there, Toshiya!" Matsumaru called from the sidelines, Sakuragi and his Army already in fits from witnessing Mitsui's one-on-one strategy again.

"That game doesn't count," Toshiya said, ignoring Matsumaru.

"Hey, you set the rules. I'm following them."

"That doesn't count," Toshiya repeated again, chasing down Sakuragi's basketball and passing back to Mitsui.

"Stop making stuff up," Mitsui replied, knocking the ball over to Toshiya with a closed fist for the check nevertheless.

"It doesn't count. One more." Toshiya tapped the ball right back, completing the check and signaling the game's restart.

"Same rules?'

"Yes, so this time—"

_Swish._

Mitsui massaged his shooting wrist as Toshiya again lost his words. Sakuragi and the rest of the group's laughs got even louder.

"All right. Great playing with you. Toss the ball back over to Sakuragi," Mitsui announced, turning to leave. "Good luck with everything."

Toshiya didn't stop the shooter this time. Mitsui walked to nearly the mid-court line before the Daiei High player spoke up again.

"I misjudged you. You are actually very confident in your shooting." Toshiya coughed. "None of you Shohoku folk are what you seem, are you?"

Toshiya's tone of voice irked Mitsui just enough for him to turn back around. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Toshiya seemed to completely ignore Mitsui, instead taking the time to collect the loose ball. But instead of using this as an opportunity to rope Mitsui into another game, Toshiya instead stared up towards the rim once the ball was in his hands, about ten feet away from the actual basket.

"Hey. I'm talking to you."

Toshiya continued blocking Mitsui out, studying the rim carefully.

"This rim's kind of bent," Toshiya said after a long while.

Mitsui was just about to leave out of frustration before Toshiya took one hard dribble forward. In the next moment Toshiya wrapped the ball behind his waist to the small of his back, and using just his wrist strength, snapped the ball right behind and over his head as he continued running forward. As soon as the ball was airborne Toshiya leapt after it, caught the ball, and laid the shot up and in.

Mitsui suddenly found himself glued to his location. Even Sakuragi had stopped laughing.

Toshiya didn't make much of the shot, instead grabbing the loose ball again and moving back out towards the free-throw line. The previous trick shot had been of incredibly high difficulty, Mitsui knew—one that could only be performed by someone that had been around basketball long enough to have had the dedication and willingness to master a ridiculous shot such as that one.

And just as soon as Mitsui had blinked, with that abrupt, eerie cat-like quickness that Mitsui had seen in the game yesterday, Toshiya shot forward and made a smooth reverse lay-up. This time, Mitsui was able to study the shot and confirm what he suspected yesterday while guarding the Daiei High vice-captain: Toshiya's actual speed was not as fast as Miyagi's, but he possessed two qualities that made him appear freakishly quick.

The first was his pacing, or rather, the inability for Mitsui to pick up on it. Toshiya's movements were free-form, with not even the slightest hint of body language suggesting what action would follow from his previous. By the time he had snapped into his next move, the defender's mind was forced to catch up before his body could. And secondly, as Toshiya had moved for the basket, Mitsui could not remember the last time he had seen a player so hunched and bent over while still maintaining their balance—Toshiya's upper body had been practically vertical as he shot forward like a missile. It was a full commitment to an action, disregarding an option to change the move on the fly; but Mitsui had witnessed firsthand that Toshiya did not make decisions without sufficient belief it would succeed.

It would be a weakness at higher levels of basketball, when the competition would be able to read and adjust. But in the meantime, Toshiya truly did possess a special talent.

Toshiya collected the ball and tilted his head towards Mitsui's direction, as if he had been listening in on Mitsui's thoughts.

"Because you showed me your skills," Toshiya said shortly, in explanation. Toshiya looked off towards the distance, watching some other players shoot around. "Maybe we're alike."

Mitsui advanced towards Toshiya. The Daiei High vice-captain held the ball up again, his spirits seeming to pick up upon the sight of seeing Mitsui return back to his side of the court.

"Another one-on-one?"

"There's something else. Right, Toshiya?"

Toshiya stared at Mitsui. The two were close enough that the others could not pick up on their conversation any longer.

"You came to watch us play today. You pretended like you didn't recognize us outside the shop, but Matsumaru said you came specifically to watch us play." Mitsui paused. "You know who we are. How we play. Why are you acting like you don't? What was that, about saying we're not what we seem?"

Toshiya continued staring at Mitsui for a few seconds longer, expressionless.

"Maybe we're alike," Toshiya repeated, tilting his head away so his messy hair again fell in front of his vision. "But we're not, really. Because I don't hold back during a game. You do."

Mitsui raised an eyebrow, not understanding.

"Why do you sacrifice your game?" Toshiya turned his back towards the other player, dribbling the ball as he took a few steps away from Mitsui. "Shohoku's offense is strange. A mix of read-and-react, a mix of offensive sets, a mix of just freestyle. But you're the only one in that offense that looks uncomfortable."

Toshiya stopped dribbling and glanced over his shoulder, meeting Mitsui's confused look.

"You're holding your game back. But is it for your team? Or because you're not sure about something?"

Toshiya took a single, absent-minded dribble to fill the silence.

"Your past, maybe? Shohoku vice-captain?"

Mitsui's eyes widened in shock. "This entire time—"

"I was at the Sannoh game, too. With my captain. I saw your game last year." Toshiya paused, a bit of admiration sneaking into his voice. "Very impressive game. I don't think I'll ever forget it."

"And what's your point?" Mitsui snapped. For a moment, Mitsui had had a strange, irrational fear that Toshiya had known about his delinquent years—something Mitsui had been actively trying to bury. But Toshiya's tone of voice was making it clear that he thankfully did not.

Toshiya ignored Mitsui's growing impatience. "There are certain players that you build your gameplan around. Because those are the ones that you have to try your best to stop. My captain is one. That All-Japan player of yours is one. And there are others that you cannot fully predict. You just have to wait and see how they play that day before adjusting. Those are the ones that are not aces, but can play at a level of an ace. On my team, that is me and Sorimachi Hiromu. And on your team it's that redhead."

Toshiya stared straight at Mitsui.

"And you. Shohoku vice-captain."

Mitsui found himself unable to say anything in retaliation.

"It was easy to find scouting reports on a former middle-school MVP," Toshiya coughed, spinning the ball on the index of one finger as he continued speaking. "Any team worth mentioning in the Nationals will know about you and the rest of your team. The only true unknown is that rookie of yours. But that will change once someone recognizes the middle school he went to."

Mitsui didn't bother correcting Toshiya, that there would be no way to scout out Hiroshi. Only the Shohoku players knew: even though Hiroshi attended Mitsui's alma mater, he never actually played organized basketball until joining Shohoku. It would be like a team trying to scout Sakuragi last year—a fruitless effort.

"So my point is, Shohoku vice-captain. You are a former MVP." Toshiya rested the ball at his hip. "You took some time off from basketball. I don't know why you did. But you don't play like you have a chronic injury. There must be something else holding you back. Because I saw that MVP at Sannoh last year. But not once after. Not at our game. Not against Katsura High today."

"What are you saying? I should jack up more shots?" While Mitsui's tone was irritated, he suddenly felt genuinely curious as to what the other player thought of his game.

"I'm not being clear, I guess." Toshiya leveled an even stare at Mitsui. "So I'll just say this much. You can be aggressive even when you don't have the ball. That was what I realized from seeing your game last year."

Toshiya took a few bounces with the basketball before walking back towards the hoop. "But I guess you were the one to forget, even though you showed me. You're about as forgetful as my captain."

"What?"

Toshiya suddenly went deep into thought upon the query, so concentrated that he didn't cough for a good while. He seemed to struggle over with whether or not to elaborate further, before finally saying:

"Captain said he's not going to play basketball anymore."

Mitsui was caught off guard at the announcement. The thought of Tsuchiya, Daiei High's star player, giving up basketball was shocking, even to Mitsui.

Toshiya tossed the ball up and scored a bank-shot.

"It's probably better for him, anyway. To not play anymore," Toshiya mumbled. The mere mentioning of a player giving up the sport struck a chord with Mitsui.

"I don't agree," Mitsui found himself saying, not even sure why he had done so.

"I wasn't asking your opinion," Toshiya coughed, a hint of annoyance sneaking into his voice. Despite his words, Toshiya seemed to think otherwise of his captain's decision to not join a basketball-oriented university. "Whatever. I'm not sure if I'll keep playing, myself."

"You have to be joking with me."

Toshiya caught the loose ball and moved to the other side of the rim, again falling silent for a few moments.

"Micchi! What are you guys doing?" Sakuragi called from the sidelines. "Didn't you win already?"

"Be patient!" Mitsui barked back, not even bothering to look over his shoulder to see what the redhead was up to. In that span, Toshiya made another shot before moving a bit farther out from his previous area. Mitsui instantly realized that Toshiya was playing "around-the-world" with himself, a common game for basketball players worldwide.

"The way we lost today just pissed me off." Toshiya finally said as he took a flat-footed shot. "Captain is probably thinking the same way, but I think he means it. Something happened today, to him. And you guys were just so arrogant about everything."

"What's that mean?"

"I mean," Toshiya chased down the loose ball and moved to the other side, "that you guys got lucky."

"That's just a load of crap right here," Mitsui rolled his eyes. "It's not our fault that Tsuchiya kept passing at those—"

"As I said. You guys are awfully arrogant if you think we didn't know about captain's weaknesses."

Mitsui fell silent at the seriousness of Toshiya's words.

Toshiya gave Mitsui a sidelong glance. The sickly vice-captain was indecipherable as always, yet Mitsui was now beginning to wonder just how much of Toshiya's seemingly eccentric and absent-minded nature was real.

"We played with him since the beginning. You Shohoku folk only had one game. But you make it sound like you know everything about him." Toshiya refocused on the basket. "Those steals at the end. Flukes. All flukes. He doesn't mess up like that."

"You just sound bitter."

"We were going to win it this year," Toshiya continued, ignoring Mitsui's comment. "Really. All because he was playing that All-Japan player of yours. It threw him off. We should have won that game."

Mitsui stayed silent, letting Toshiya rant. Defeating an opposing team wasn't new to Mitsui; he had done it so many times before. And what he was seeing wasn't new to him either.

Denial: a common characteristic of certain losing players.

Players tended to react in different ways to defeat. If a person truly loved the sport, had given it their all, they often manifested strange, extreme behaviors during a loss.

For some, they would take it personally. Believe that they had been the ones to do wrong and then train and train and train, waiting for the moment they had to face a similar situation. Others would find reasons outside themselves. If they were undisciplined, they would actively blame others. Those that were better about it would research instead, studying the opposition and how to adapt if the situation came again. How a player reacted in the face of defeat was often the ultimate determinant of how much they would succeed later.

Toshiya's was a new one, though. It was a denial of circumstances involving a _different_ player. Mitsui had yet to see—

Mitsui's brow furrowed. No. That was not true.

If Shohoku had lost to Sannoh and someone had spoken of Akagi's poor game as being the reason for their loss, Mitsui knew that outside of Sakuragi, he probably would have been the first to put that person in their place.

And the realization of this almost made Mitsui laugh. When had he grown this attached to the others that made up Shohoku? He had attended the school for Anzai. And to win. For no other reasons than that.

But for the briefest of moments, Mitsui understood where Toshiya was coming from. Mitsui had not reacted in this way last year after losing to Aiwa, but even back then he had not convinced himself that it was the end. Maybe he would react as Toshiya did this year, if it came to it. He couldn't even imagine what the Daiei High lockers had been like after Shohoku had beaten them.

Toshiya misinterpreted the silence as Mitsui actively listening to him. By the time that Mitsui had refocused on Toshiya, the other player was at a different position on the court and was taking another shot. He hadn't missed yet.

"So many things just went wrong. Captain not playing his style because he was against that All-Japan player. That rookie of yours getting those blocks. Ken getting outrebounded so badly. And even worse was when Matsumaru didn't take that three-pointer."

Mitsui raised an eyebrow, recalling that shot. It had been near the final minutes of the game, right after Miyagi had given Mitsui the ball and he had made a three to give Shohoku the lead. "Miyagi told us he couldn't shoot."

"When he first transferred, he couldn't. But captain worked hard with him to correct his form. He can make that three-pointer." Toshiya gave Mitsui another look. "I guess you guys thought you knew everything about Matsumaru, too."

Mitsui silently reprimanded Miyagi for giving the team that information without more certainty. Though Mitsui knew that Miyagi could not be truly blamed, as the Shohoku captain had not given the misguided information maliciously, it could still have been disastrous: if Matsumaru had indeed shot and made that three, the game could have played out very differently.

"There's no point in talking like this," Mitsui said instead. "The game's already over. So unless you have anything else to say, I have to get some rest for tomorrow."

Toshiya, who had just been about to go into his shooting motion, abruptly hesitated. For some reason, Mitsui's bluntness seemed to rattle him, just a bit. There was a second of consideration before Toshiya took the jumper.

"You're right. I don't want to play anymore," Toshiya finally announced after he missed the shot. He hobbled towards the loose-ball, suddenly looking as if he had no energy whatsoever. "Sorry for bothering you."

"Nah. It's all right," Mitsui replied absently, watching Toshiya's lethargic movements instead of turning to leave. Toshiya secured Sakuragi's ball and walked it over to Mitsui, holding it out in offering. Just before Mitsui could take the ball, Toshiya pulled his own arm back as if he was changing his mind.

"Let me tell you two things, Shohoku vice-captain. As one vice-captain to another." Toshiya tossed the ball into the air and cleared his throat with another dry hack.

"Holding back your game is not a sacrifice. It's about choosing your spots. Even with that All-Japan player of yours." Toshiya caught the ball with one hand and brushed back some of his unruly hair with the other, enough for Mitsui to get a clear look at the strangely lucid eyes that lay behind it.

"And second. Don't disrespect my captain's decision to quit basketball."

Mitsui's mouth twitched involuntarily in irritation. "It's not about that. I've been there. And he—"

"Well, it's not your decision. It's…"

Toshiya thought his words over, taking a few dribbles with the ball.

"I don't think my captain should quit because of this one game," Toshiya admitted with a cough and lowered his head. "But sometimes we forget why we play the game. It happens to everyone."

Mitsui was silent as the sickly player stared down at Sakuragi's ball.

"I haven't forgotten. But someday, I will. Then I won't be thinking my captain was making a mistake."

Toshiya fumbled with his pockets and pulled out another candy cigarette, placing it between his lips as he held the ball out again. "I'm sure you can understand that we have to go through this. Shohoku vice-captain."

Mitsui gave Toshiya a long look, not immediately reaching for the ball.

"Hey."

Toshiya raised his head enough to see Mitsui staring back seriously.

"Let me tell you two things, too. First: you piss me off because you're talking all this trash like you don't do what I do." Mitsui tilted his head back towards the courts they had just played on. "That talk about you thinking of quitting with your captain? I saw what you were doing just now and you're holding back during games too. You can be at ace-level. Consistently."

"Well," Toshiya coughed, the barest hint of amusement sneaking into his voice. "Maybe I want to see if you can show me how to do it. In a game."

"Whatever," Mitsui brushed off the challenge outwardly, though there was enough annoyance in his tone to show that Toshiya's words had stung a bit. "The second thing is: you're right. I learned a few things while I didn't play. And one of those things is about decision-making. You magically decided that you were supposed to win today's game because of all these decisions that didn't happen. But those decisions are for all of us to make. Don't act like there's no responsibility to be had."

Mitsui jerked a thumb over his shoulder to where Sakuragi and the others were.

"Matsumaru could have shot that three. But he decided not to. And your captain could still go to a university to play. So can you. That's your own decision. We_ all_ make our own decisions. And we own up to them when the time comes." Mitsui paused, making sure to keep his voice even. "I know I did.

"So you wouldn't have beat us today. Because if Matsumaru or you or your captain had made a different decision, we would have reacted to it with our own decision. And thumped you anyway." Mitsui managed a smile, cocksure. "But if you think you have something else to say, then we can play again. I'm going to play basketball for sure after this. So make your own decision. With your skills, I would be glad to play you in college. Ace against ace."

Toshiya gave Mitsui another indecipherable look, coughing only once during the lull as he sucked on the candy cigarette.

"I'll think about it," Toshiya finally said, leaving only those words behind as he shuffled off. Without even glancing backwards, he tossed the ball blindly to Mitsui, just as he had done when they had started to play their one-on-one in what seemed like ages ago. "Later. Shohoku vice-captain."

"Right," Mitsui said simply in return, catching the precise pass. Toshiya didn't acknowledge that and instead continued moving away, his back hunched and coughing the entire while.

Mitsui turned on his heel with a shake of the head and headed back for Sakuragi, who was already jogging up to meet his vice-captain.

"It sure took you a long time to get my ball back!" Sakuragi grumbled, not even bothering to offer Mitsui any thanks. Mitsui rudely shoved the ball square into Sakuragi's chest in response, continuing to head off and past the Sakuragi Army and Matsumaru.

"I'm going back to the inn. Don't stay out too late. We have another big game tomorrow," Mitsui said testily without a look back, walking in a beeline away from the court. Sakuragi shared a confused look with the others, uncertain what to make of Mitsui's abrupt exit.

"Is Micchi feeling bad that he cheated to get his win?"

"Dunno," Matsumaru mumbled in response, the Sakuragi Army also shrugging. "Toshiya didn't even wait for me neither, but that ain't new."

"It'll make things easier that he's gone," Youhei said, squinting as he stared off towards the horizon. "Besides, it's going to get dark fast and he probably wouldn't be too happy about us running more errands."

"Thanks again for the favor guys," Matsumaru said, holding a closed fist out towards the redhead. "I couldn't do this without y'all."

"You can count on us! Surprising Ryo-chin is going to make this all worth it." Sakuragi gave Matsumaru a fist-bump, laughing all the while. The group of six split off into duos, with each of the three groups heading off in different directions.

"Back within two hours, everyone!" Youhei shouted, the others roaring back in response as he and Sakuragi made off back towards the gym.

"We have to make sure they have enough light to have a good match!"

* * *

The afternoon sun was slowly beginning its descent by the time that Ayako made it back to the inn. The expression on her pretty face was strained, her lips pressed tight together as she advanced for the lobby and took a seat on the communal sofas with a huff.

After taking another breath to steady her nerves, she reached into her duffel bag and pulled out the stats sheets she had collected.

Another day of Nationals basketball had ended. Of the 59 teams that had qualified for the nationwide tournament, only eight now remained. After tomorrow, only four would be left.

And as Ayako thumbed through the loose sheets of paper, anxiety caused her fingers to fumble just a bit more clumsily through the information than she normally would.

She had already gotten word. It was guaranteed now.

Aiwa High would be Shohoku's next opponent.

As Ayako began to put together the information she had on Aiwa High, butterflies flapped in her stomach. The two teams had a history. Aiwa High had been the one to crush Shohoku's dreams last year and a part of her had known that they wouldn't have been able to avoid them, if Shohoku wanted to make it to the top. Good teams didn't disappear at a tournament of this scale. The Nationals always had upsets. And there was some luck involved, yes. But there was also a reason that familiar team names appeared over and over again.

So Ayako couldn't push her nervousness aside. Aiwa High making it so deep into the tournament again meant they were not a team to be trifled with. And even though everyone on the team, herself included, was hoping to exact some payback for last year… she couldn't forget the defeat, either. How easily Aiwa High had pulled them apart back then, bit by bit.

It was a horrible memory. One that would likely be hanging over the others going into the game, as well.

While she pondered these thoughts, she heard a familiar shuffling that broke her concentration. Ayako looked up to see Anzai also having just come back to the inn, the old coach looking weary from walking around in the summer sun.

"Hello sensei," Ayako greeted from the couch. Anzai offered Ayako a smile, calm as ever despite the sweat dotting his forehead.

"Ayako-chan. Preparing information for tomorrow's game?"

"Yes, sensei. I'll have copies of whatever I can find to the others before nightfall. Haruko will be in tonight as well; she's sorting information from Aiwa High's matches during their Inter-High competitions. She still has to settle down now that they moved their stuff back to Fujii's relative's house and checked out of the hotel."

"Excellent." Anzai took a handkerchief from one of his short's pockets and wiped himself off. Though Anzai seemed in somewhat better shape than last year after the health scare, he was still by no means fit. "I would also like the tape you have from Aiwa High's match today, if it's available."

"I got it here. If you want to watch it now I can set it up for you, sensei. Otherwise Rukawa or Hiroshi will ask for it and you might have to wait or watch it with them."

"Excellent," Anzai repeated. "Let them watch it first, then. I have to make some calls; I just had a very interesting conversation with someone I had not seen in quite some time."

Ayako glanced up from her work. "Oh? What about, sensei?"

"I met one of my old colleagues from the university. He just informed me that they would like to extend a scholarship offer."

Ayako, who had only been half-interested in the contents of Anzai's talk, was now at full-attention.

Ayako's breath caught in her throat. She could barely push her next words out.

"For… for who…?"

Anzai shuffled towards the inn phone, his voice placid as always.

"For Miyagi-kun and Mitsui-kun."


	73. Chapter 72

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Author's Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating this wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Reviews:**

Martin F – Oh man, the dreaded ACL tear! Stick with your rehab and don't rush back, I tried doing that before and you wind up taking a few steps back instead. Doesn't mean you can't dribble around, though!

I hope Ryonan keeps winning too, Sendoh is a fun character.

Only 2-4? Bring that record up this season, my man! Losing just feels bad so I know what you mean.

Miyagi and Mitsui getting scholarships is actually an idea that I had to tweak. In my original draft for the story I had it like you mentioned, actually, which was Mitsui gets the scholarship and Miyagi doesn't because of his height and stuff. But as I've said before in some other reviews I consider Laziness Incarnate's "Basketball for Dummies" to be the sequel to this story for whenever I finish it. In her story she alludes that Mitsui and Miyagi are in the same university on the same team, and after I thought about it for a bit I thought that wasn't a bad idea either. I know what you mean about Miyagi being an underdog though, I think he thrives in that role and plays better when everyone is doubting him (except for himself and Ayako, of course!).

And thanks a bunch for reviewing!

The Girl in the Green Scarf – If you like Mitsui then this next arc should be a good one. Thanks so much for reviewing!

Kumokoyun – Right, the "not an ace but can play like an ace" point is actually very true for a lot of teams! I think it's important for other people to recognize that fact, including Mitsui! Damn you Mitsui, starting playing like an ace again!

It's actually for both candidates. Although if it had been for only one and they had to fight over it, I think the amount of drama that would ensue could probably fill up many many chapters. Many.

Thank you so much for reviewing! And don't worry, Sakuragi is always the main character and focus of this fic. at the end of the day. He's the Tensai, after all!

Iron Duke – I completely agree with you on all your points! You're right that Sakuragi's talents are kind of wasted because he's such a monster on help-defense. But he kind of has to be stuck defending the best big guys on the other team in my fic. because Hiroshi is a stick compared to our favorite redhead and would just get posted up on every play. It's another reason why Sakuragi paired so fantastically with Akagi. It doesn't mean Sakuragi isn't a great post defender but I agree that it's not his ideal spot to be in because he has so much athleticism compared to everyone else.

Shohoku's bench sucks. That's, uh, all that can really be said.

Shohoku next year could indeed be an interesting situation. Hiroshi can't be an ace, period. He doesn't have enough of an offensive repertoire or the athleticism to consistently get points. He can deliver some important points but you can't expect him to pop off for 30 every game or something. So yeah you're right, he's a roleplayer (a good one, though). And oh man, can you imagine Rukawa playing DIII? The laughs that could be had!

The Sakuragi and Rukawa relationship, as well as my thoughts on their differences in basketball level, will be revealed as the fic. goes on.

Thanks so much for reviewing man! Great to hear from you again! And how the hell have you been, by the way?

Laziness Incarnate – No. YOU'RE the best.

Nigel – Haha, thanks! I'm trying to update at least once a month because I want to finish this fic. before we all, you know, retire and stuff.

Mitsui has always been a gunner in Shohoku's offense and while I think Inoue chose to make him that way, you're right in that he has so many other skills that he doesn't get to show. That he played really good post defense against Sakuragi in the manga was a sign of it, and that Rukawa immediately identified Mitsui as being the player he wanted to go one-on-one against was a sign of respect if anything.

Mitsui and Miyagi in the backcourt again once they go to university would just awesome and hilarious at the same time.

Goizmo – Hey, thanks so much for your compliments! And your English is great, don't worry about it. I've noticed that you're also writing a sequel, except for our Spanish readers—kudos to you! And thank you so much for reviewing!

SleepyBeyondReasoning – Hooray! You've finally caught up and you're not (completely) disgusted at my writing! That's a good sign. Thank you for diligently reviewing as you went along and telling me what you liked and didn't like. I'm glad that you re-read the Aiwa High chapter, I wanted to give the team more depth than I have for the previous matches because it's a very important game.

Thank you again so much for reviewing!

Gwen – Aw, thank you so much for your kind words. And yes, let's hope it's payback time for Shohoku! Thank you for taking the time to write a review!

* * *

**Chapter 72 – Connect**

"I see her, guys. She's coming down the hallway."

"Shoot. Is that really… never mind, it's her. Okay, Noboru. ETA about 10 seconds. Hurry up."

"Tanabe, I don't think I have enough time—"

"Don't get distracted! Nezu, get out there and keep her busy!"

The front cushions of the sofa that Nezu had been kneeling on gave way with a poof as he deftly climbed over the piece of furniture, clearing the sofa before racing for the inn's connecting entranceway. Just a step before coming into plain view of anyone that was walking down the hallway, he quickly slowed and loosened his limbs, trying to look as casual as possible. Aoba was steadily advancing for the lobby of the inn, where most of Aiwa High's players were already gathered in waiting. She was busy jotting something down in her trademark notebook and had a package tucked under an arm, unaware of her surroundings.

Nezu stepped forward. "Aoba. We were just waiting for—"

Aoba simply brushed past Nezu and strode right into the lobby, still writing the entire while. Nezu shot a concerned look behind his shoulder where Noboru was frantically tugging on his shoes, with Tanabe standing directly in front of the other player so Aoba would not have a clear field of view.

"It's really that high. I can't believe it," Aoba mumbled to herself, deep in thought as she stopped mid-step. "Maybe captain should stay on the left side of the court more often. No, it's probably just coincidence…"

"Aoba," Nezu tried again, sidling up to her. "Almost everyone is here. We're just waiting on Ito-sensei and captain."

"Hm. That's nice," Aoba said distractedly, continuing to do some sort of calculation. "Could you bring Noboru over here?"

"Sure. Noboru?" Nezu shot another glance over his shoulder. Noboru, now fully dressed in his ridiculously stifling attire of sweatshirt, long pants, and sneakers stepped up to the manageress, the two practically shoulder-to-shoulder due to their comfort with one another.

"Something to show me, Aoba-chan?" Noboru asked, cool and collected.

Aoba wrote a few more numbers down before snapping her notebook shut. "You went out running again, didn't you?"

"No. I didn't," Noboru said calmly. Before he could defend himself any further Aoba swung her head up, anger apparent in her eyes.

"Oh please. Remember who you're talking to." Aoba pointed towards Noboru's sneakers with the capped end of her pen. "First, those are your running shoes and not your indoor shoes. Second, there are at least three new dirt spots on there that wasn't there when I told you yesterday night to not go running. Third, when you said my name there was a slight inflection in your tone that keeps coming up whenever you're nervous. I might have been able to believe you even after _all_ that, except when you denied me just now your voice was so even that it sounded completely unnatural!"

Silence.

"Man. Someone got busted," Tanabe observed in amusement. Aoba turned so that she could speak directly to the other member of the team.

"You. You're a bad influence on Noboru. And Nezu," Aoba continued, giving the All-Japan player a look of pure disappointment, "I always thought you set a good example for the others. Is Tanabe-senpai coercing you into this somehow? Trust me, I have so much information on him that if he ever threatened you in any way—"

"You couldn't prove any of it," Tanabe said lazily, scratching at his ear with his pinky in disinterest. "This is why Ito-sensei never believes you. It's just like all that statistical junk you keep going on about."

An eerie smile spread across Aoba's face upon hearing the challenge in Tanabe's voice. "June 15th, at 5:08 PM, when captain told everyone to run extra wind sprints, I made a note that only you—"

Tanabe's tune instantly changed. "Yamamoto won't remember."

"Oh, but he will." Aoba's smile grew ever more predatory, knowing that she had the upper hand. But Noboru laid a calming, firm grip on Aoba's shoulder just before the manageress could go any further.

"Aoba-chan. It's my bad. I wanted to see if my running speed was improving so I asked the two of them to join me."

"You shouldn't be doing any extra running," Aoba said sourly, her smile dissolving but her gaze never tearing from Tanabe. "And our _vice-captain_ shouldn't be so_ irresponsible_ about his own players."

Tanabe scoffed. "Lay off Noboru, all right? He just wants to put in extra work."

"We can't afford to have any injuries. And as much as I dislike saying it, that includes you." Aoba's eyes narrowed threateningly. "Please keep those things in mind when you go out on your escapades, Tanabe-senpai."

"Get off my back," Tanabe replied, returning Aoba's glare with equal resolve. "I don't ask for all those weird things to happen."

"I just think it's strange that you never have any of us around when you're late to every single thing the team does. What was yesterday's excuse again?"

"There was a beat-up old cat that was looking really hungry on the way to the gym. I had to feed it."

"Right," Aoba said, her tone clearly disbelieving. "And I'm sure that girl you helped find directions for today during our Josei High match would be really happy to hear that you didn't even make it until half-time. What if we had been losing?"

"She looked so lost. What was I supposed to do?"

"Whatever," Aoba sighed, dropping the subject when she felt Noboru squeeze her shoulder in warning. "Asada and Noboru will escort you to the game tomorrow so that you'll be on time. Asada!"

Upon being called, one of the Aiwa High players made his way to Aoba from the corner of the lobby. Like all the other members, he was of significant stature; but uniquely he sported a healthy, dark tan on his skin. His movements were brisk and lively, matching his sportsman appearance. Upon facing Aoba he snapped a mock salute, which looked particularly odd given the baseball cap he was wearing.

"Reporting!" Asada Yuta said with an energetic grin, not at all reading the tense atmosphere that had developed between Aoba and Tanabe.

"Don't let Tanabe-senpai out of your sight tomorrow. Got it?"

"Will do!" Asada turned and snapped another salute to Tanabe. "You're not going to hide all my shoes again to prevent me from my duties, right?"

"That was a good one," Tanabe smiled nostalgically, drawing an audible growl from Aoba. Asada didn't pay the conflict any heed and instead refocused his attention on the Aiwa High manageress.

"I had a good game today, didn't I?"

"Yamamoto wasn't happy about a few forced passes," Aoba said as she opened up her notebook to confirm her thoughts. "He particularly was not pleased when you made a very poor decision in transition after Nezu got the steal when we started the second half. But yes, you played just fine. You've really worked on cutting down the turnovers and it shows. In fact, after today's game your assist-to-turnover ratio is now—"

"Boring," Asada yawned, abruptly losing interest as soon as Aoba began delving into technical talk. Nezu, who had been standing quiet the entire while, quickly moved away from the group, knowing what was to come.

Aoba's expression changed upon hearing her work being undermined. "It's not boring. This is valuable knowledge to keep track of."

"The basic statistics are all we need," Asada replied with a shrug. Noboru made a "stay quiet" gesture from behind Aoba, one which Asada didn't heed. "Too much number crunching and crazy technical stuff."

"It's not number crunching, I'm just taking some of the already-available data and seeing if I can find—"

"How many points did I score?" Asada interrupted.

Aoba sighed in frustration. "Is that all you stupid players care about?"

Asada shrugged again. "None of us believe in all those figures you throw out anyway."

"If you actually just put some faith in—"

"_I_ believe it."

Yamamoto's deep, booming voice immediately put an end to the conversation as all players in the lobby focused their attention on their captain entering the room. Next to the towering player was a shorter middle-aged man, hair parted neatly and wearing a tie despite the humidity in the lobby.

Like a trained brigade, all the members of the team stopped their chatter amongst each other and bowed in unison to the two.

"Good evening, captain! Good evening, Ito-sensei!"

"Okay, let's get down to business," Ito, coach of Aiwa High, said impatiently as he strode for the sole television in the room. "Aoba, come help me set this up."

Instead of leaping to the coach's beck and call, Aoba took the package that she had been carrying the entire while and handed it off to Asada.

"Help the coach please. I have to talk to our captain for a second. This is the tape of Shohoku's match against Daiei High."

"Will do!" Asada said, prying the package away and moving quickly to fulfill his duties. Yamamoto made his way to Aoba, giving her a nod in greeting.

"Thanks for getting the tape."

"I should have gotten it even earlier like you wanted. But there were some slight issues with the negotiation," Aoba said absently, flipping through her notebook in search of a particular page. "Anyway, I just wanted to update you that I caught Maki Shinichi on the way out of the gym this morning. We didn't have time to really talk about it before our game today, did we?"

"…We certainly noticed that you found him," Nezu said dryly, eavesdropping on the conversation. Aoba didn't pay the other player any heed.

"Anything useful?" Yamamoto asked. Aoba sighed heavily in response.

"Maki didn't help me at all. He was vague about everything. In the end he just told me to be on my guard. Can you believe that, captain? That he would say something like that. To me!" Aoba abruptly tore out a page of her notebook, her face twisting in rage. "I mean, who does he think he is? Acting like I'm _not_ going to be on my guard? He used to be so much cooler back when I was in middle-school, but now he's such a know-it-all because he got into Shintai University!"

All the players that had been in Aoba's vicinity took a hasty step backwards, save for Yamamoto and Noboru. The two were well used to her temper tantrums.

"…Was that page important?" Noboru asked after Aoba had calmed somewhat.

"No." Aoba visibly deflated into a hunch, passing the crumpled piece of paper off to Noboru to throw away. "One of my old shopping lists, I think that was."

"It's okay, girlie. You tried your best and that tape you got is going to be useful," Yamamoto said, giving her a comforting pat on the head. "Good work."

"Thanks captain," Aoba said glumly, still sounding down despite Yamamoto's encouragement.

"Maki's from Kanagawa, after all. I doubt he would help us take down one of their representatives," Nezu added, crossing his arms across his chest. "But if Shohoku still has Maki's respect this year, then it means they'll be tough."

"They better be. They weren't even worth playing against last year," Tanabe yawned, brushing past the others as he made his way closer to the television set. "I should have just stayed in bed that day."

"It's done, it's done!" Asada called triumphantly from his spot near the television, where Ito was looming over him. The rest of the Aiwa High players clamored over into a huddle around the coach and the television.

Asada plopped onto the ground and adjusted his baseball cap, taking a front-row seat to the show. Tanabe squeezed onto the sofa, lazily stretching his legs out as he slouched backwards into the cushions. Nezu and Noboru stood behind the sofa, their height giving them a clear vantage point of the television set. And Aoba hung towards the back of the group, grumbling to herself all the while about how no one had respect for the only lady on the team.

Ito held up the remote, not immediately beginning to play the cassette as he spoke to the other players.

"I just wanted to let you all know that in spite of the game today, none of you should be getting confident. We had a lot of mistakes that have to be corrected."

"We're making history, you youngin's," Yamamoto straightened as he joined Ito at the front of the congregation. "So make sure you don't embarrass all of Aichi with a crap performance tomorrow."

"History? What's that mean?" Asada asked, confused.

"It was confirmed this afternoon that this is only the third time in Nationals history that the lesser ranked teams have all beat an A ranked team on their way to the Round of Eight. Girlie, what was the breakdown on that?" Yamamoto called towards the back of the room.

Aoba was already prepared for the question. "The current teams remaining in the Round of Eight are Meiho High, Too High, Ryonan High, Shohoku High, Rakuan High, Urayasu High, Kanayama High, and us. Shohoku High, Ryonan High, Kanayama High, and our team all received below A grades in the official rankings this year."

"But we're proving them wrong, aren't we?!" Yamamoto roared, the other team members cheering back in approval.

"All the lower ranked teams have made it past an A-ranked team to get to the Round of Eight," Aoba continued once the enthusiasm had died down. "Shohoku High beat Sannoh, Ryonan High beat Hori High, and Kanayama beat Umezawa High. We beat Yano Tech on our first match, as you all know."

"That means even though Shohoku is ranked lower than us we can't write them off," Yamamoto growled. "So if any of you stupid idiots are thinking it's an easy win tomorrow, don't' even show up. Be ready with your best."

"Kanayama wasn't ranked A?" Tanabe asked in surprise. Aoba rolled her eyes, an action that Tanabe didn't see; the manageress was clearly displeased that the vice-captain of the team was unaware of the competition.

"No," Yamamoto said shortly. "They're ranked D."

"Figures those idiots at the media would magically forget how well Kanayama did in the Winter Cup." Tanabe straightened in his seat. "We better be on guard, then. No one should be underestimating those guys."

"They're on the other side of the bracket so we have no chance of playing them unless they make the Finals. You should know that, Tanabe-senpai," Aoba said, not even bothering to hide the irritation in her voice as she spoke to Tanabe.

Before Tanabe and Aoba could get into another argument, Ito cleared his throat audibly to regain everyone's attention.

"Regardless of how other teams are doing, we have to focus on Shohoku. They were infamous last year and remain a team that I greatly respect." Ito pointed the remote towards the television. "I am certain that if any of you have not seen them play yet, you'll understand why it is not a surprise that they have come this far again in the Nationals."

As soon as the video recording began to play, a cold tension seized the air. What had been a disjointed, free-flowing atmosphere amongst the members was suddenly replaced by intense focus. The transformation was an amazing one to all that witnessed it: every member of the team went into watching the final fifteen minutes of the Shohoku High-Daiei High match with complete concentration.

Yamamoto nodded approvingly at his team's discipline before he turned his own attention to the cassette. Everything playing out on the screen was new to the Aiwa High players, save for Aoba, who had been the only one on the team to witness the game for herself. And even she was focused on the replay, re-checking to see if there was anything she might have missed in her old notes.

As the minutes passed by comments began to spring from the players, mostly admiring whispers:

"Good rotations on defense."

"Yeah, Shohoku's members work well together. Daiei High has some great teamwork too."

"…"

"Wow… what a block."

"The defense on Shohoku's captain is good, they're limiting his penetration into the lane."

"…"

"Geez. There's no way to guard that, is there?"

"You can. If it got to a case like that, we can send the help defender to…"

As the game began to run down to the final few minutes, Ito finally spoke up.

"They're running a different offense than last year," Ito stated, looking across his players. "But the one thing that is for certain is that if there's trouble, they'll trust Rukawa with the ball."

"Data indicates that this year Rukawa has had the most offensive possessions on their team during the last five minutes of the game," Aoba added in support from the back of the room.

"He was really tough last year," Tanabe relented. "If anything he looks even better."

"So with that being said," Ito paused the tape with a click of the remote, "I want to discuss some strategy for tomorrow. Instead of man-to-man, we need to be doubling Rukawa whenever he gets possession. Komatsu and Nezu, I'm leaving it in charge of you two. Get the ball out of his hands no matter what."

Komatsu, one of the first-years on the team, nodded obediently. Nezu remained silent, his expression belying nothing. Instead it was Aoba that spoke up again.

"I don't agree, Ito-sensei. Can't we have Tanabe-senpai come out for the help instead of Komatsu?"

Ito shot a look towards the rear of the group where Aoba was standing. "Can you keep your thoughts to yourself? I've told you so many times that you only need to—"

"Shohoku's Kawasaki Hiroshi is the far lesser of two evils if we have to leave someone open. I suggest we let Tanabe-senpai rotate off Kawasaki if we need to double and let Komatsu stay at home on Mitsui Hisashi. It just makes more sense to run a post player out for the double if Rukawa is going for the basket."

Ito stared blankly at Aoba. "Mitsui? Who are you talking about?"

It took every bit of Aoba's restraint not to throw her notebook straight at Ito's face.

"Mitsui Hisashi," Aoba repeated, as calmly as she could. "He's the shooting guard and vice-captain of Shohoku. His scoring output is not as high in the Nationals as it was back during the qualifying matches in Kanagawa, but my data has shown that he remains a top-five shooter in the Nationals. Shooters always know when to pick their spots so we can't leave him open at any time on defense."

"Oh, I remember now. I had been worried after his showing at the Sannoh game but he wasn't memorable against us." Ito shook his head, disbelieving. "Even so-so players have a good game once in a while. It's nothing to worry about."

Aoba began to tap against the pages of her open notebook with her pen, something that Noboru knew was a sign of her temper about to get the better of her. However, Aoba's tone was still polite as she continued the argument.

"Actually if a shooter has a history of being very accurate—"

"I've had enough about this topic," Ito interrupted, his voice now rising. "Know your place. We've had this discussion many times before and I do not want to have to remind you that I am the coach and your duties are to just make sure—"

"Player development. I'm aware of my position but please let me finish, Ito-sensei," Aoba replied, expression steely. "For the benefit of the team, I sincerely believe that my data will—"

"Enough with this data stuff," Ito interrupted again, not heeding Aoba's plea. "Numbers are useless if you don't know how to apply it. You have no basketball experience and if it wasn't for Moroboshi personally recommending you last year I would not even let you interact with the players as much as you do now. Now be quiet or leave; you're disturbing the film session."

Ito turned back to the television, unaware that the final remains of Aoba's patience had snapped. "As I was saying, when Rukawa—"

"Why can't we adjust as the game goes on?! Single coverage with Nezu-senpai is enough!" Aoba exploded, jabbing her pen towards Nezu. "If Rukawa gets out of hand we can then switch to a double, but with Tanabe-senpai being the primary help! It makes sense! How am I wrong?!"

Aoba took a threatening step forward. Noboru heaved a sigh and glanced over his shoulder to assess the situation, ready to act but allowing Aoba to finish speaking her mind.

"I… I have faith in Nezu-senpai! He's All-Japan for a reason and he has actual experience guarding Rukawa previously! He…"

_**"We're not going to have to double-team him. I got it under control."**_

"He even told me that we don't have to double-team Rukawa this morning! Right, Nezu-senpai?" Aoba looked towards Nezu, eyes wild and expectant.

Nezu remained silent, not offering any support to Aoba's argument. Sensing that Nezu would offer her no help, a transient look of hurt crossed Aoba's expression. Nevertheless she turned back to face Ito, who was now staring at her with distaste and disbelief, arms crossed across his chest.

Even knowing that she was no longer being taken seriously, Aoba held up her open notebook as if the others could decipher her scribbles.

"My data on Mitsui is trustworthy! Shooters are the easiest to study! No matter how poorly they perform, under no circumstances should you ever leave a good shooter to—"

"Shut up, girlie."

Yamamoto stared at her with such a hard, stony look that even some other members of the team got shivers. Those words alone were enough for Aoba to instantly clam shut; the low timbre of Yamamoto's voice seemed to carry extra authority in itself.

Taking this as a cue, Noboru gave the coach a nod in apology before grabbing Aoba by the arm and dragging her back down the hallway towards her room. Yamamoto strode after the two, shooting a glance over his shoulder to the coach and the players that were left.

"Please, Ito-sensei. Continue your discussion of the game-plan."

"…Right. Please take care of it," Ito said after a momentary pause before facing the crowd of players again. "Now, what we need to do is force Rukawa to…"

Yamamoto walked away from the lobby and followed the path down the hall, the voice of Ito slowly disappearing as he made his way further into the inn. It didn't take long to find Aoba and Noboru tucked in a corner of the rooms' corridor and standing face-to-face; Aoba was still in the midst of a tantrum and was directing it at the only listener she could find.

"—don't treat me like a kid, Noboru! I'm not going to take this sort of ignorance around here anymore!"

"There's a time and place to argue," Noboru said, his voice low but still audible to Yamamoto. "You can't just talk back to Ito-sensei the night before a game in front of all the other players. You know that."

"I'm sick of no one listening to me! Just because I made a mistake in my calculations during our qualifying matches doesn't mean I'm always wrong! Now that idiot coach has a bias against me and everyone thinks that I'm just making up numbers!" Aoba looked down at her notebook, devastated.

"They all don't believe anything I say. It's already been so many months, and… I didn't think it would be like this… your brother warned me, but I… I just..."

"Listen. Hey, listen to me." Noboru stooped to try and meet Aoba's eyes. "Look, I know you're not going to apologize to Ito-sensei. But you need to show some restraint, okay? I know it's hard for you but please think of it from sensei's perspective sometimes."

There was a pause.

"_I _believe in you. Remember that, Aoba-chan. Okay? Just like you do for me."

There was another silence before Aoba finally spoke again, her voice now weak and exhausted.

"I'm sorry, Noboru. It's probably because of me that the stupid coach never lets you play anymore. Only you and captain keep backing me up. Coach can't hold any grudges against captain because it's his duty, but you…"

"No, Aoba-chan. You know that has nothing to do with this. It's—"

"Oi. Stupid kids," Yamamoto boomed, having heard enough. The two glanced towards the captain: Noboru still calm, Aoba still looking frazzled and frantic. "Stop making me look like I have to babysit you both all the time."

"It's my fault. I should have stepped in sooner," Noboru said quietly. Yamamoto shook his head, not seeking any sort of apology in the first place.

"Junior. Get back to the group. I have to talk to girlie here."

Noboru studied Yamamoto for a few seconds before nodding. He gave Aoba another look of concern before he left the two behind. Yamamoto studied Aoba, who was being careful to not meet Yamamoto's eyes whatsoever.

Despite what Yamamoto had said, he did not speak at all; instead he stood at a measured distance from the much smaller girl, practically blocking out the lights in the corridor due to his height. It was Aoba that finally broke the silence.

"What was that, captain?"

"What was what?" Yamamoto gave her a genuinely confused look.

Aoba gritted her teeth, still livid over the betrayal. "You know what I'm talking about. Why did you take the coach's side? We can't slack off on Mitsui at all. My research—"

Yamamoto held up a hand, now understanding. "Take a breath, girlie. You're about to come apart."

Aoba took a breath.

"I'm not taking Ito-sensei's side," Yamamoto continued, keeping his stern gaze upon the girl. "I trust you. I thought we've made that clear. Stop doubting me."

"But—"

"So trust _me_ on this one," Yamamoto said. "Ito-sensei won't agree with any of your suggestions until the data turns out right, and in a manner that is especially memorable to him. Arguing was a waste of time."

Aoba was quiet, considering Yamamoto's words.

"What should I do?" she finally asked, her head still down.

"Use that brain of yours, girlie. Get a counter-plan ready. Get it ready for the worst case scenario. You said shooters are easiest to study."

The two fell silent again, Yamamoto's advice seeming to agree with her.

"…Nezu didn't back me up," Aoba mumbled after a while, hurt. She stared at her feet, notebook pressed against the front of her legs. "I really thought he was taking my suggestions seriously, lately."

"He's coming around. But he can't go against coach's game-plan, either. He's a player, first and foremost. The reason we have a coach is to make sure we have a unified approach and philosophy. Otherwise we're just playing street basketball out there."

"But he could have still—"

"Girlie. Think of your own situation for a moment." Yamamoto used the back of his hand to lightly tap his knuckles to the top of Aoba's head, as if scolding a child. "Just because you had Moroboshi-senpai's backing doesn't mean the coach or any of the players think you're qualified to draw up game plans. So no one can throw their lot in with you until you prove your worth. Nezu knew that because it's the same way for all us players. There are no shortcuts."

"Ito-sensei doesn't even listen to me," Aoba said sourly.

"He will. Everyone will. And if they don't, even after you've shown them that you're right, they'll answer to me." Yamamoto straightened. "That includes Ito-sensei."

With this bold declaration, Aoba managed to peek up and through her bangs. Yamamoto began to scratch his beard furiously, as if offering her so much support caused him physical irritation.

"…Thank you, captain."

"Save those words for junior. He's probably going to lose sleep because of that idiotic stunt you pulled back there."

"But I mean it. Thank you."

"Yeah, whatever," Yamamoto grumbled, his irritation now no longer in doubt. "And I know just the reason you acted like the little kid you are. You didn't get any rest this afternoon like I told you. Did you?"

Aoba shifted nervously, enough to let Yamamoto know he had hit it right on the mark.

"Go to bed. Even if you don't sleep, just relax somehow. You have another meltdown tomorrow at the game because of fatigue and you're going to regret it forever. And I'm going to regret it too. As captain."

Aoba snuck a glance back towards the hallway they had come from. "The film session—"

"You're getting pretty full of yourself if you think we need you for something like that," Yamamoto grumbled, turning to leave. "And if you get some sleep you'll give junior some peace of mind too."

Aoba bit her bottom lip, voice subdued. "Has he really been that worried about me?"

"Don't ask me. You're the expert on junior," Yamamoto stated grumpily, beginning his walk back towards the lobby with a slight slouch in his shoulders. "Go off to bed, girlie. And if I see a light on when I pass by your room later tonight I'm going to break in and take your notebook away for good."

Aoba's eyes widened in fear. "No. You wouldn't dare."

"Good. Now you know I mean it. So off you go." Yamamoto jerked a thumb over his shoulder as he strode off, not even bothering to offer any other sort of farewell. He had made it only a few steps into the hallway before Aoba's voice pierced the air.

"Captain!"

Yamamoto glanced over his shoulder to see the manageress still in the exact same location, but now with her head up and notebook pressed against her chest. She made a deep bow.

"I'm sorry, captain. I tried. I really, really tried to not get into an argument with Ito-sensei again." Aoba straightened and under the reflective glare of the lights Yamamoto was able to catch a glint of what appeared to be tears in her eyes. "I let you and Noboru down."

Yamamoto's grumpy expression softened considerably, as did his tone.

"I know you tried. Keep it up, girlie."

Yamamoto watched Aoba dash off towards her room, rounding a corner to the deeper parts of the inn. Once she was fully out of sight he continued his trudge towards the lobby, shaking his head all the while.

"These stupid kids are going to be the death of me."

* * *

"Okay, now seriously. Why are you guys taking me back to the basketball courts?"

"Patience, Ryo-chin! It shall all be clear soon."

"Look, if this is about the pick and roll, I'm really not in the mood to run you through it again. You messed it up badly enough today during the game," Miyagi sighed, following Sakuragi and Youhei nevertheless. The three were headed right to the street courts that Mitsui and Toshiya had been at earlier, just a little over the two-hour time limit that Youhei had set for the rest of the Army.

"It was all just practice for this Tensai," Sakuragi replied stubbornly, jamming his hands into his pockets. "I'll get it right next time."

"I was telling you that you have to roll exactly when the other guy comes off to double me," Miyagi instructed, turning his head to advise the redhead directly. "You were all the way out near the three-point line. I'm not going to pass to you when you're out there."

"You're biased, Ryo-chin! Biased!" Sakuragi scoffed.

"Whatever," Miyagi shrugged, facing forward again as they reached their destination. "I'll call the pick and roll with Hiroshi tomorrow during the game so you can see how—"

Miyagi abruptly trailed off when he noticed two very familiar figures were already standing at one of the courts, conversing with Noma and Ookusu. The Shohoku captain gave Sakuragi and Youhei a look of sheer disbelief.

Sakuragi and Youhei answered Miyagi with wide, knowing grins.

"Oh. There they are," Noma observed, motioning towards Miyagi and the others.

Maki Shinichi and Uchimara Takeshi, the old and young stars of Kainan High, turned to greet Miyagi.

"Miyagi. How have you been?" Maki asked as soon as they were within earshot.

"Way to back up Kanagawa," Takeshi added, shooting Miyagi a thumbs up.

Instead of returning their greetings Miyagi could only stare blankly at them, still in a state of shock. "What the… what are you guys doing here?"

Takeshi gave Sakuragi a confused look. "You mean you didn't tell him?"

"You certainly made it sound like this matter had already been settled. Yet only Miyagi is here and he doesn't know what's going on," Maki said to Noma, the former MVP carrying just enough of an edge to his tone to make it clear that he didn't appreciate having his time wasted.

"What do you mean, 'only' me?" Miyagi asked. However as soon as the words were out of his mouth, his question was answered in the form of another group of people that had passed through the entrance to the street courts and were rapidly making their way toward the others.

Matsumaru was easy enough to spot: his afro was a dead giveaway, even at a distance. And Takamiya was not difficult to identify; he was the only one amongst the approaching group that was clearly out of shape. They were not surprises to Miyagi.

It was the others that were with them that made Miyagi do a double-take all over again.

Fujima Kenji and Hanagata Toru of Shoyo High.

And trailing behind them…

"Glad to see you're doing well," the young man said, holding a hand out to Miyagi once he was close enough to do so. Miyagi shook, trying his best to appear casual despite the amount of butterflies in his stomach upon seeing this threat of a player again.

Takasuka Keita from Sannoh High.

"The gang's all here," Fujima commented quietly as the three groups now stood reunited, the afternoon sun dying all of them in a soft, orange aura. Maki greeted Fujima with a raise of the head, one which Fujima curtly returned.

Matsumaru had a cheeky grin on his face that was far too familiar to Miyagi: one that only appeared when he was up to no good. But by now Miyagi was able to put two and two together, even before Matsumaru announced his intentions. Seeing Maki in basketball shorts had been enough for Miyagi to guess what the others had planned.

Matsumaru placed his thumb and index together and held up his last three fingers, mimicking an "okay" sign.

"Sup, Miyagi. I was just feeling like us point guards should have a little three on three. You in?"


	74. Chapter 73

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Author's Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating this wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Reviews:**

SleepyBeyondReasoning – Thank you so much for your comments! I've been enjoying the writing process a lot more lately and I think it's showing, like in the way I wrote Aiwa. Glad that you like them!

I'm very sorry about descriptions, I actually don't write them very detailed because frankly I'm not as good as describing people as I am with scenery and such because I always want to leave enough for the viewer to have their own picture of the character. I will work on it more because it is a weakness of mine. Thank you for letting me know and I'll pay attention to it!

Martin F – Oh man, being outclassed by 100 pounds… yeah, that must have been an impossible defensive assignment. I'm very happy to hear that your next season is looking good, be sure to recover as soon as possible so you can get out there and kick some butt!

I think Rockets are going to surprise people, but I only say that because I'm optimistic about them every season. And then they let me down and I cry.

I'm glad you like the Aiwa High team! I certainly enjoy writing them. And thanks for giving me such a thoughtful review again my man!

Aznpikachu215 – No you're not wrong at all, it's actually pretty ridiculous that the Shohoku players have to play so many minutes. Anzai spells the players very rarely but the Shohoku bench is pretty awful compared to their starters so I can understand. Still, for the sake of realism, you would think that he would give them a few more minutes of rest… oh well. If I were coach I would definitely do what you recommended; I've honestly never seen a coach that works his starters as much as Anzai does in the manga. Thanks so much for reviewing!

The Girl in the Green Scarf – I love long reviews! Thank you so much for taking the time to write it! And sorry I couldn't get this chapter out on the 13th for you, the writing process is unpredictable. Rest assured I tried!

Hikoichi and Aoba really are similar! Aoba is probably a bit more crazy, though. The Aiwa High and Shohoku match should be an exciting one!

You're right, Miyagi is actually the one that's in most danger because if he gets injured Shohoku is absolutely dead-meat. We'll have to hope that no mishaps happen during the three-on-three.

Yep, the other characters have been taking a bit of a break. But don't worry, they'll all get their development time. That includes Sakuragi.

Thank you again so much for reviewing, and I hope that school has been treating you well so far!

Guest – Yeah, Aiwa High's coach is kind of retarded in that sense. It may come back to haunt him. Thank you for reviewing!

Gwen – I hate it when people underestimate Shohoku too! But they won't get the chance to much longer—Shohoku is one of the last eight remaining teams in the tournament! I hope there will be a match between Shohoku and Meiho but it'll depend on who wins and who loses. Thank you so much for the review!

Ciel – Aw shucks, I already told you that you don't have to be apologizing for nothing! I'm just glad to hear from you, and don't feel like you're obligated to review every chapter—I really appreciate that you review at all! I'm glad to hear your thoughts on the fic.

Mitsui is a huge badass, on the court and off. I hope he sticks it to Aiwa High when they get in the match—like you said, he willingly defers to his teammates despite having the skills of an ace. Aoba is indeed getting the short end of the stick because she's not only young but also a girl on a male sports team, so her opinion is not well respected. Japan is a very hierarchical society and a lot of social cues are built into how they interact with one another: disrespecting your elders, as you know, is a huge no-no and seniority is sometimes valued over skill and talent. It is true not just in Japanese basketball but also in their society, and I completely agree that in general you have to evaluate more than that. But with regards to basketball, there's a lot of talk about how Japanese basketball can't compete on an international level because of that sort of thinking.

Thank you so much for taking the time to write a long review!

* * *

**Chapter 73 – Guard Play, Part I**

If there was one thing that Koshino could not stand about Hikoichi, it would be that he did not know when to shut up.

"And see, Taoka-sensei? If there's one spot on the floor that Inamoto likes best, it's when he gets to move to the left block and post up on the opposing player!"

"Hm." Koshino had long since learned that Taoka's grumpiness had another level when it came to dealing with Hikoichi. "Thank you. I can study this by myself."

"Of course Taoka-sensei. But there's just a few more things I wanted to… there! Right there! Did you see that play? Their small forward is so quick! Not as quick as Sendoh of course, but that drive was amazing! Our training will make that sort of thing easy to guard though, right? Oh, and this defense here! Wow, would you look at that! It was just as I suspected, their zone defense is air-tight! And would you look at how quickly Inamoto goes back onto offense and—WHOA! WHAT A DUNK! But then what else could you expect from an All-Japan center? Takuma is going to have a lot of work ahead of him tomorrow, most definitely!"

Koshino placed his face in his palms, feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on.

"I got it. Thank you." By the strain in Taoka's voice, he must be feeling likewise.

The Ryonan High vice-captain pushed himself to a sitting position, having been lounging about on the inn's sofa. With the way things were progressing, there was no chance that he would have any chance to study for tomorrow's match in peace. He gathered some of the papers with Too High's plays in hand-just a few that he had trouble remembering-and got to his feet.

Even as Koshino advanced for the coach and Hikoichi, neither of them paid any heed as Hikoichi continued to enthusiastically deliver a scouting report on Too High from next to the television set.

"I can't wait to see what we have planned to counter their zone defense! Will they even keep using it after Sendoh and Koshino-senpai burn them with their three-pointers? It's going to be a great game!"

Taoka seized upon the opening. "Have you seen what kind of defense they run if the zone fails?"

Silence. Stunned silence, but welcome nonetheless.

"Homework for you," Taoka stated, the relief obvious in his voice.

"Thank you, sensei. Gotta check it," Hikoichi noted to himself, scribbling furiously in his notepad. Koshino sidled up behind Taoka, the coach sitting stiffly in a chair facing the television set. "I'll report back tomorrow morning."

"There's no sense in getting worried," Koshino interjected, making sure to meet Hikoichi's eyes so that the second-year would heed his words. "We beat an A team before. We'll do it again."

"Well spoken," Taoka grumbled as he crossed his arms across his chest, pleased that there was finally someone to aid him in his plight.

"You're so cool Koshino-senpai," Hikoichi said wistfully, full of respect as he looked up from his notepad. "I wish I could be as confident as you."

"Keep working on it," Koshino smiled, relieved that Sendoh had not told the others just how worried he had really been going into the Hori High game. "You'll be in my spot in no time."

"I hope so," Hikoichi sighed longingly, no doubt imagining the chance to play alongside his idols on the court.

"Don't hope for these things. Work for them," Taoka advised, tone hard but advice fatherly. It was at moments like this that even Koshino could feel his feelings of annoyance towards their loud-mouthed second-year dissolve. "You have to earn the time to wear our jersey on the floor."

"I will, sensei!" Hikoichi replied, all enthusiasm again. Koshino managed another wan smile.

"I'm turning in. I'll make sure everyone is ready bright and early tomorrow, Taoka-sensei," Koshino said, nodding towards Hikoichi. "While you're at it, you can start researching Aiwa High. They're our next opponents after we beat Too High tomorrow."

"I'm not going to."

Taoka and Koshino suddenly found themselves staring at a deathly-serious Hikoichi, all of the previous mirth gone.

"It will definitely be Shohoku that will meet us. They won't lose." Hikoichi's declaration was full of false confidence and blind faith, in Koshino's eyes. "They _won't_ lose."

Taoka heaved a heavy sigh and lowered his head in thought.

"…Good night, Koshino," Taoka finally said.

"Good night," Koshino replied, leaving the two behind and headed back for his room.

As he wandered the corridors of the inn, Koshino found himself pondering Hikoichi's final assertion, probably more than he should. Koshino simply didn't understand what it was about Shohoku that seemed to rile up his teammates.

The Akagi-Uozumi rivalry, that now seemed so long ago, must have been the start of it all. But even now both of those giants' shadows loomed over their teams, their forms elsewhere but hearts still in the memory of all those that played on.

There was always a certain fascination that the others on the team seemed to have with Shohoku. Whether it was Uekusa working himself to his utter limits in practice because of Miyagi tiring him out last year, or Takuma always growling to the other freshmen that at least Shohoku's Hiroshi didn't half-ass on defense despite being a pathetic player, or Fukuda improving his outside shot for another chance at Mitsui and Sakuragi, or Sendoh waking up just long enough to hear whether Shohoku had been eliminated yet by Hikoichi. For some reason, Shohoku was the team to beat according to his comrades.

Koshino didn't understand. Because it should be obvious that Ryonan High was better than Shohoku. So it was not _their_ players he had chased. It was not_ their_ players that motivated him to run wind sprint after wind sprint.

It was Sendoh's back that Koshino had been chasing, for as long as he could remember.

He knew that Fukuda shared some of these sentiments. It must be why Fukuda was always trying to best Sendoh as well. Their one-on-ones after practice were already legendary and routine. But Fukuda was different; whatever bad blood he might have been harboring for Sendoh was long since gone. Taoka had admitted his faults, changed his ways, and Fukuda recognized that Sendoh had not been the source of his banishment. Without any further conflicts the Sendoh-Fukuda rivalry was now mostly friendly, save for the few scuffles about uncalled fouls and playing dirty.

No. Fukuda at least had the chance to play against Sendoh. Because _he_ was a worthy adversary. _He_ was part of the reason Ryonan High was strong.

Koshino was still so far behind.

So far behind the lax, absent-minded genius of a player that breezed through the scrimmages and made the right move every single time with the ball. So far behind the idiotic captain that was only reprimanded by the coach for his tardiness and for taking things too easily. Never for his basketball play. Never for not being at the wrong spot on the court. Because Sendoh didn't make those kinds of mistakes, the mistakes that even a third-year like Koshino sometimes did.

Maybe someday Koshino would know why Uozumi and Ikegami had both suggested he be vice-captain, and not the mild-mannered Uekasa.

When Koshino finally reached his room, the first thing he noticed upon making his way in was all the lights on and air conditioning on full-blast. Worst still, the room was a mess—magazines and sneakers and papers were strewn every which way and duffel bags lay open, clothes and other contents spilling out across the floor. It was a danger zone.

The culprit could only be one person.

"Listen Sendoh, this isn't the first time that…" Koshino began, only to trail off upon seeing Ryonan's captain already sound asleep, his snores audible but subdued.

Koshino sighed.

While Sendoh made most things look annoyingly easy, his absent-minded nature tended to manifest in manners that even made Koshino shake his head in disbelief. For instance, Sendoh's sleeping position was awkward (or endearing, as his growing national fan club would unquestionably assert) as could be: he had simply passed out on his stomach, arms splayed out to his sides, face buried into the futon and butt jutting in the air, like a goose that had missed a landing and crashed into the pavement beak-first. His futon was a mess and papers with basketball plays were strewn every which way.

Koshino bent low to pick up the loose sheets of paper, if only to save them from whatever sad fate was waiting if Sendoh happened to roll over in his sleep. As he brought the papers up, Koshino observed something that was a common sight when it came to basketball plays and Sendoh.

None of the pages were marked: in fact, pristine. Koshino had never seen Sendoh make a single note on any of the data that Hikoichi had supplied them with, nor had Sendoh ever made any adjustments to the playbook Uozumi had bestowed upon him after retiring. No, instead Sendoh had thumbed through the contents before dumping it off for Koshino to handle, saying that as vice-captain Koshino should be in charge of teaching all the new players what plays should be run because Sendoh wasn't "good" at that sort of thing. (And yes, Koshino knew when Sendoh was lying through his teeth.)

And it wasn't laziness. That would be a ridiculous accusation. It was simply because Sendoh just _knew_ the plays._ Knew_ the counters. Koshino still believed that Sendoh only took the information that Hikoichi supplied him with only so the second-year wouldn't feel disrespected by his hero. Sendoh's adaptability during a game was unlike anything Koshino had ever seen.

One of the sheets of paper caught his eye, only because there was something distinctly _not_ pristine and homogenous about it. A different scrawl, a marking. He held it out in front of him, noting the header.

Too High. Surprising. Sendoh had actually done research on them. Or at least, pretended to.

What Koshino saw on the paper was a hand-drawn markup of an example of Too High's zone defense, with a layout of how Ryonan High could attack it. Koshino skimmed through the circles and lines spread across the diagram, noting that the plan was a straightforward but effective one. Sendoh would bring the ball up to start the offense, with Fukuda at the free-throw line. Uekasa and Takuma, further in and on opposite sides of the basket in preparation for the tandem play later on. A give and go first, with Sendoh operating freely once Fukuda had the ball and Uekasa and Takuma drawing the opponents as far away from their zones as possible. While Fukuda had the ball and Sendoh was cutting, either Uekasa or Takuma could set screens for the others if an opportunity presented itself. Koshino would be at a normal shooting position, ready to bail Fukuda out and reset the offense if they didn't succeed.

It was Taoka's writing, this he could tell. The lines were sharp, meticulous, clean. But there was an additional line in the play, a bold arrow that traced from one end of the three-point line to the other. Next to it, a question mark.

And the source of the arrow came from the circle numbered "2." For shooting guard.

A play for Koshino instead. A weakside attack on Too High's zone.

Only Sendoh would think of something as stupid as this.

Koshino studied it for a few moments despite himself, imagining how it would play out. After a few moments of consideration, Koshino realized it wasn't as bad as he thought. It made sense, in a strange kind of way. But Taoka's version was better. More realistic.

Because it actually took Koshino's real skills into account.

Koshino glanced over at Sendoh, who was still dozing away merrily, dead to the world. And still looking like an idiot.

The trust that Sendoh had in his teammates was astounding, bordering ridiculous. Ryonan High's journey to the Round of Eight had just as much been about Sendoh playing at a level of basketball that no one had seen as it had been about his teammates finding different ways to almost get them eliminated. For every game that someone stepped up to help Sendoh, another would be completely outplayed. They had won by the skin of their teeth every time. Sendoh had no reason to think that any of his teammates could be offensively reliable.

And yet here it was, if this piece of paper in Koshino's hand was to be believed. Trust in his teammates. Misplaced, maybe. But trust nevertheless. Even after all this.

There had been times that Koshino had doubted Sendoh's compliments. His faith. But Sendoh's eye for talent and feel for the game was unparalleled: Koshino had never seen Sendoh underestimate a single opponent. That Sendoh had been the first, before anyone, to recognize Shohoku's Sakuragi as being a legitimate threat last year had fully convinced Koshino of that.

So there was something there, in Sendoh trusting them all to this extent. There must be. Otherwise he simply would have played one-on-one basketball every trip down the floor, like that Rukawa seemed to do more often than not.

So what was it? Why did Sendoh still believe? What was it that made Sendoh so far beyond what Koshino could ever achieve?

Sendoh was certainly the happiest, facing all these strong opponents. That Sendoh had to struggle until his third year, with his unparalleled talents, to make the Nationals was oddly ironic; for someone that had outgrown all that Kanagawa had to offer as early as a year ago, facing the best of Japan had taken him far longer than it should have.

But that innocent smile, that expression that only appeared when there was nothing but the strongest players staring Sendoh down when he had the ball in his hands, was appearing less and less. Today had been one of the rare situations that Sendoh had lost his cool during the game, and the only other times that Koshino had seen such an episode _was_ in these Nationals. There was something going on, in this person that Koshino had trained relentlessly to one day rival. And it was something that Koshino could not understand.

Because a challenge is not what Sendoh feared. It's not what frustrated him. In fact, it drove him.

And as Koshino stared at the sleeping Sendoh, the one person that he never would have imagined being frustrated on the courts, he couldn't help but wonder what could cause Sendoh to behave in this way. Wonder if Sendoh was far more complex than he appeared to be.

But then a bubbling snore leaked out of Sendoh, and he was once again just a simpleton in Koshino's eyes.

"You idiot," Koshino grumbled for no particular reason. All thoughts left Koshino's mind as he stepped over Sendoh's awkward form, prepared to at least make the room somewhat more presentable before going to sleep.

Ryonan High would follow this idiot into battle tomorrow, once again. And he knew as soon as they were on the courts Sendoh would be sure to dazzle and defy, and Koshino would wonder again if he would ever see the game as Sendoh did.

* * *

**Nationals Averages**

Akira Sendoh

27.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, 10.5 assists, 1.1 blocks, 1.7 steals

* * *

_hiroshima street courts_

The six point guards wasted no time getting into position, lining up naturally at the free-throw line to shoot for teams. As Fujima stepped up first for the free-throw, Miyagi, standing behind Matsumaru at the back of the line, began engaging in idle chatter.

"I still can't believe you did this. How'd you even get everyone here?" Miyagi whispered to Matsumaru as he watched Fujima begin his free-throw routine.

"We all know each other here." Maki, standing directly in front of Matsumaru, was the one to answer. Miyagi's voice apparently had not been low enough.

Maki looked ahead towards Fujima, who was getting into shooting position. An unreadable expression passed across his face. "I certainly couldn't turn down a chance to play against one of my rivals, after all."

Matsumaru nodded, agreeing with Maki's words but for different reasons. Fujima shot and made the free-throw, making him the first member of a team. Keita was standing next in line and advanced forward, the others taking a step towards the basket as well.

"How'd you guys drag _him_ into this one, then?" Miyagi asked, lowering his voice even further as he pointing towards Keita discreetly. Matsumaru chuckled.

"He's Hiromu's teammate from middle school, yo. So it was an easy hook-up."

"Sorimachi Hiromu?" Miyagi instantly remembered the absent-minded sixth man on Daiei High. "That guy? Seriously?"

"It's a small world. Almost as small as us," Matsumaru joked, pointing between Miyagi and himself. Miyagi managed a wan smile as Matsumaru continued. "That Takasuka guy seemed pretty fired up to play when I asked him to, actually. Might still be smarting over that win you guys stole from them in the first round."

"'Stole?' Shut up man," Miyagi chuckled, the two ribbing each other good naturedly. In that time, Keita missed his free-throw. The next to step up was Takeshi, who actually missed his shot as well.

"These young players need to work on their free-throws," Fujima commented lightly after giving Maki a look, a relaxed smile across his face. Just being back on the courts seemed to brighten his demeanor. Maki made his way to the free-throw line, caught the pass from Keita, gathered himself, and then proceeded to lend credence to Fujima's assertion by being the second person to make the free-throw and become a member of Fujima's team.

Fujima's grin suddenly turned frosty. "Couldn't miss for once, could you?"

"It slipped," Maki smiled in return. Just enough regret leaked into his voice to make the comment sound genuine; the two rivals undoubtedly had wanted to play against one another rather than together. Despite_ their_ dissatisfaction with the predicament, Miyagi could already feel his stomach churning.

_Those two on a team… how do you stop that?_ Miyagi thought, staring at Matsumaru's back as his middle-school comrade prepared to shoot a free-throw.

For a moment, Miyagi found himself wishing that Matsumaru would miss and give him the opportunity to join Maki and Fujima. But as Matsumaru straightened and flowed into his shot, an involuntary ambition gripped him. While the ball spun in the air, rather than hoping for it to miss, another thought sat in Miyagi's mind:

…_I want to be the one to find out. _

Swish.

"That's it," Matsumaru announced, striding over to Maki and Fujima under the basket. "Game's in the bag, yo."

"You rigged this," Miyagi joked, adjusting his wristbands as he stared down his three competitors.

"Graduates versus newbies. What a coincidence," Maki commented as Keita and Takeshi joined Miyagi alongside free-throw line.

"Who you calling a newbie?" Takeshi challenged before Miyagi could, tilting his chin up in defiance.

"You're actually the youngest one here, so it must be you," Maki replied, another smile spreading across his face.

"We better end this game quick. The old geezer back there is already senile and needs his rest," Takeshi said loudly in retaliation, refusing to pay any respect to his senior. Maki's smile grew more strained upon touching the delicate topic of Maki's looks versus his actual age.

"You talk big for someone that couldn't continue our winning history."

Takeshi's gaze darkened and for a second, his expression reminded Miyagi of the Takeshi of old that he had faced during most of the Shohoku-Kainan match.

"Maki's mine," Takeshi snarled before he motioned for the ball. "Now let's stop the small talk and shoot for takeout."

Fujima lazily bounced the ball over to them. Before Takeshi could get possession, however, it was Keita that brushed past his teammate and seized the pass. Without hesitation he lifted into a three-pointer, his motions confident and sure. The ball swished through the net before Takeshi could even raise his voice in protest.

"I'm warmed up now," Keita said quietly, making sure to give Fujima a pointed stare as he said those words, evidentially not forgetting the jab about missed free-throws earlier.

"Our ball," Miyagi announced, a disbelieving grin on his face at the events that were playing out before him. Matsumaru returned the grin, the two having not made as big a deal about the match as the others were.

"Damn right our ball," Takeshi mumbled as he turned to face Keita.

It was becoming increasingly clear that a competitive Takeshi was an ill-mannered one as well. And as Takeshi stared down Keita, Miyagi realized that a fight breaking out between his teammates was a very real possibility. But instead of getting into an argument over stealing the shot, as Miyagi had expected, Takeshi jerked his thumb towards his own chest.

"Takeshi," he introduced, completely skipping his family name.

"I'm Keita," Sannoh's point guard replied, using only his given name as well.

The smile on Miyagi's face grew wider.

Meanwhile, the nearby spectators were also growing excited for the match.

"This should be interesting," Hanagata commented, more to himself. Nevertheless the Sakuragi Army, who were standing alongside the former star center, heard his words and gave each other questioning looks.

"Hm? What do you mean, Megane-kun?" Sakuragi asked, defaulting to his usual nickname for all glasses-wearing basketball players.

Hanagata gave Sakuragi a sidelong glance. "Have you seen a half-court game like this, Sakuragi?"

"Of course!" Sakuragi instantly swelled with pride. "We practice like this a lot! Actually, Ryo-chin is no match for me during our scrimmages!"

"…what are you talking about?" Noma rolled his eyes, knowing that Sakuragi would be made to look like an idiot if he had to play Miyagi one-on-one.

"No. I meant with these sort of players." Hanagata didn't register Sakuragi's final comment like the others did, instead turning back to look at the six individuals on the court. "Point guards are generally the smartest players on the floor. They're the generals of the team. You change that dynamic by placing them in an informal playing arena."

"You mean in a street game," Youhei summarized aloud, partly so that Sakuragi would understand what Hanagata was getting at.

Hanagata nodded. "In a street game, a completely different set of skills is required. Players that used to always have the ball now don't. Players that always used to know what the next offensive set is now have to play free-style. They can't rely on teammates that they have trained with. Instead they must rely on being flexible with their roles and consistently making the right decisions on the fly. If played seriously, in some ways it truly showcases the basic skills of the players, individually and as a team."

Hanagata placed his hands in his pockets, his expression hidden behind the sun's glare against his glasses.

"I'm interested to see just how high-level a match this one will be."

* * *

**Three on Three **

Matsumaru Daisuke (3rd year)- 172 cm, 61 kg

Fujima Kenji (University 1st year) – 180 cm, 67 kg

Maki Shinichi (University 1st year) – 185 cm, 79 kg

_vs._

Uchimura Takeshi (1st year)- 179 cm, 65 kg

Takasuka Keita (2nd year)- 181 cm, 70 kg

Miyagi Ryota (3rd year)- 170 cm, 60 kg

* * *

Back on the courts, Takeshi had already secured the ball and the teams were ready to begin the match.

"The first ball handler is obvious. It has to be you until they figure out a counter." Takeshi tossed the ball to Miyagi as he spoke, making the decision on behalf of his teammates. He gave Keita a prying look. "You got any objections?

Keita's expression remained calm. "No. I was actually about to suggest it myself."

Miyagi felt himself swell with pride at having the two star point guards defer to him so readily. But this respect, he knew, was not being given freely; he had earned it during his matches against them.

"Is your finger going to be an issue?" Takeshi asked, motioning towards the tape on Miyagi's index finger. The injury he had sustained during the Daiei High game was still not fully healed.

"Nah, I can take care of myself." Miyagi brushed off their concerns with a wave of the same hand he had injured. "Besides, I got so much rest during our match today that I wanted to stretch my legs some."

Takeshi and Keita, trusting Miyagi's assessment of his condition, moved off in opposite directions to assume their offensive positions on the court, leaving Miyagi standing at the top of the key.

Within seconds the three older players chose their defensive assignments: Fujima on Miyagi, Matsumaru on Takeshi, and Maki on Keita.

As could be expected, Takeshi was not pleased.

"What? You scared already, old man?" Takeshi taunted Maki, unable to let go of the fact that he had been called a newbie. Maki ignored Takeshi, instead assuming his position a few inches away from Keita.

Miyagi, however, more or less could guess why Maki had chosen Keita to guard. Maki had wanted to face the strongest opponent and Keita was undoubtedly the best all-around player on Miyagi's team. Furthermore as Fukatsu's successor, it was likely that Maki wanted to see just how Keita compared to the former Sannoh point guard that had given Maki trouble in the Nationals years prior.

And as Miyagi faced down Fujima, he could also guess why the former Shoyo captain wanted to match up against him.

Apparently some grudges never die easily.

"Rules?" Miyagi asked aloud.

"Play by ones and twos. Up to fifteen. Winner takes out. Call your own fouls." Maki recited, making the decision for the entire group. No one objected.

An electric atmosphere began to descend upon the courts. With egos and reputations now at stake, a fierce competitiveness was making its way into all six of the point guards' eyes.

Miyagi bounced the ball to Fujima for the check.

"Ready?"

"Ready," Fujima replied, tapping the ball back into Miyagi's hands.

Miyagi grinned.

"See ya."

Miyagi shot forward, bringing all of his speed to bear. Even with Fujima's reactions, the abrupt spurt was enough for Miyagi to gain just enough headway to force Maki to react and move towards the center to prevent an easy layup. However, it was not a layup that Miyagi had been aiming for at all—instead he swept a deceptive bounce pass across his hip, right to Takeshi who had been watching the play from the left side of the court.

Takeshi caught the ball and stared down Matsumaru, judging the distance between the two. Miyagi immediately swerved to a stop and set a screen, preventing Maki from heading towards Takeshi.

Because Miyagi knew what was coming.

"Get in closer!" Maki shouted in warning, far too late as Takeshi brought the ball low.

And in the next instant, Takeshi vanished from Matsumaru's sight.

"What the hell…?" Matsumaru whirled around in shock, unable to even fully react as Takeshi exploded for the basket unmarked. Though Fujima had also anticipated the outcome and had already begun to rotate over, even he could not make it in time before Takeshi lifted into the air and threw down a one-handed dunk with ferocity.

"That all you guys got?!" Takeshi shouted in defiance as he released himself from the rim.

_Damn… has his first step gotten even faster?_ Miyagi thought in wonder, shaking his head in disbelief. Having "Ghost" on his team was certainly unexpected, but not something that Miyagi was going to complain about: Takeshi's scoring prowess for a point guard was elite.

"So you're Maki-senpai's successor," Keita observed evenly, the Sannoh point guard having angled himself to be completely open for the jumper in case Fujima had made it over in time. Though the play had not been rehearsed, the respective basketball IQs of all the players on the court magnified any errors: by simply getting one step ahead of Fujima, Miyagi had been able to orchestrate a chance for a high-percentage shot.

"Going to need help?" Maki asked Matsumaru. The afro-sporting point guard's fun-loving expression was suddenly nowhere to be found.

"Not even Miyagi beat me that bad before," Matsumaru gritted, walking towards Takeshi to mark him for the next play. "So stay out of it."

"Mm," Maki grunted in response, turning his attention back to the top of the key where Miyagi was checking the ball with Fujima again.

"You forget who you're playing?" Miyagi taunted Fujima. The former Shoyo ace simply kept his eyes locked on Miyagi's midsection, all business.

Sensing he wouldn't be able to rile his opponent, Miyagi started his dribble. However, as soon as the ball left his hands, Fujima made a motion forward for the steal. Miyagi quickly turned the dribble into a crossover, about to leave Fujima in the dust again—

—and Fujima was already shadowing his other hand, completely cutting off the drive.

_Shit, looks like _I'm _the one that forgot,_ Miyagi realized, forced to draw his dribble back before firing a one-handed bullet pass to Keita, who had been racing over to set a screen but now was being turned to for actual offense.

Keita faced up against Maki, not intimidated whatsoever at the prospect of being paired against one of the best point guards in the nation. Keita's willingness to battle Maki without hesitation drew a smile across the former MVP's face.

_You are exactly what I expected from your game against Shohoku. _

Keita broke into a run, attacking the basket as best he could. Maki was able to keep up with little trouble, forcing Keita into a bad shot angle the entire while. Keita abruptly pulled to a stop once he was at the side of the basket, moving up and into his shot. Maki leapt forward, ready to contest.

Instead of taking the pull-up jumper, however, Keita fired a lightning-quick pass right over Maki's shoulder, the action so fast and unexpected that even Maki was unable to react. This was compounded by the fact that Keita never once tore his gaze from the basket: he had fully convinced Maki that he had been prepared to take the shot until the final second. As Maki turned, he caught a glimpse of an all-too-familiar blur roaring past the others and swooping in for the layup.

Miyagi immediately pointed to Keita after the shot, acknowledging and giving him credit for the play. Keita didn't react, instead backing off a few paces so he could prepare for the next offensive sequence.

"I see now," Maki said, advancing forward to stick close to Keita. "It seems I didn't give the proper respect."

Though Keita kept his eyes focused on Miyagi, anticipating another pass, he nevertheless was clearly listening as Maki crouched back into defensive position.

"A point guard from the 'top' of high school basketball. For a moment, even I had thought that you would get caught up in the moment like Takeshi."

As Miyagi checked the ball, Maki's expression suddenly changed.

"I was worried that with Fujima on my team I wouldn't have a chance for a real match. But a philosophy of 'winning' is all that is trained into you. Good." Maki smiled, his joy frightening in its excitement. "That's how it should be, in basketball."

Keita placed one hand against Maki's chest before giving him a discreet shove, clearing space so he could get the ball. Without referees and the "call-your-own-fouls" policy in effect, some physical play was now inevitable. Keita rushed forward, free of Maki for a brief second. Miyagi saw the opportunity and shot an overhead pass to his teammate, Fujima unable to disrupt the action.

But just as soon as Keita touched the ball, it was knocked out of his hands from behind.

Keita's eyes widened in shock, his brain still comprehending what had just happened as the ball flew through the air. Fujima, as if having predicted Maki's action, zoomed past the two and snatched up the loose ball. Miyagi followed Fujima hip-to-hip, refusing to give the other player a good look at the basket. Even as Fujima abruptly pulled to a stop, hoping that Miyagi's momentum would take him out of the play, the Shohoku point guard lowered himself deeper into a squat and held one arm out to balance himself so he could change directions and shoot forward to contest the shot. But despite Miyagi's tenacity on defense, it proved to be insufficient: Fujima lifted into his left-handed jumper far too quickly, actions fluid.

Swish. 2-1.

While Matsumaru collected the loose ball, Keita could only stare wordlessly at Maki.

"Hey!"

Takeshi advanced over, grabbing Keita by the shoulder and pulling him back. The concept of "respecting seniority" did not seem to resonate with the younger point guard whatsoever.

"I got him on defense, all right?" Takeshi announced, not waiting for Keita's answer as he stepped forward and crowded into Maki's personal space. "Unless you're scared of getting punked."

Maki didn't flinch, instead staring down his successor. "You're sure about this?"

"Only way to pay you back for recruiting me to Kainan. Senpai," Takeshi added the title with just enough sarcasm. The only reaction that drew from Maki, however, was a shrug.

"Fine. You won't be the one guarding me by the end of this, anyway."

"I got your winning history right here," Takeshi grumbled, still bitter about Maki touching such a sore point. Keita seemed to sense the rivalry and let it slide, rotating over to mark Matsumaru on offense. As Matsumaru checked the ball, beginning the older players' first full offensive possession, Maki turned his attention away from Takeshi and focused on the ball, another smile on his face.

"Come at me with all you have, newbie."


	75. Chapter 74

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Author's Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating this wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Reviews:**

Aznpikachu215 – You're right, and that will be one of the biggest questions that Ryonan has to answer for themselves. And point guards are definitely the brains of the operation, and as you said, they need to really make good decisions with the ball. Thanks a lot for giving me your thoughts!

Martin F – I hope that Sendoh and Rukawa get a final bout. Otherwise I'm going to be very sad.

Glad that you're on your way to playing again. As for your story about basketball, ego is the biggest thing that gets in the way of good team basketball. You need ego but you need to push it in the right direction. I'm glad that you rejoined the team and that you're training your butt off, but I actually think it's good that you took time away from basketball. Like Mitsui, I hope it taught you how much you actually love the sport—and I think knowing that is absolutely worth it. Some people never have that realization, even if their basketball careers don't have moments where they quit like you. So take it as a positive experience!

Matsumaru is actually a very competent point guard, he just doesn't have all-star scoring potential like the others. That is his greatest weakness, but he does certain things better than the others. And yes, Koshino is always forgotten, and Inoue actually confuses his role numerous times! I guess he just doesn't get any love. Thanks a lot for the review my man!

Nigel – Been working at it, bro! I hope to write and publish an actual novel someday and I think this fic. has been a really good outlet for me to improve my writing before that day. When's the season start for the kids you're training, man?

Laziness Incarnate – Thank you so much for reviewing and for the corrections! Gosh darnit, nothing escapes you. I went back and made those edits. And Fujima being slightly bitchy is so totally him, that emo drama queen.

SleepyBeyondReasoning – I actually wish I hadn't been writing his for so long! Haha. But everytime I want to quit writing this something draws me back. Sorry again about lack of physical descriptions, they're definitely there for the Aiwa High team so I hope you'll have a good image of all of them! And yes, good luck with your fic.! I think it's always good to write, it's your way of letting other people peek at the worlds in your head. Thanks a lot for the review!

Gwen – Takeshi is so cheeky. Youth does that for you, I suppose!

The Girl in the Green Scarf – Wow, another long review! Thanks a lot! I hope your studies have started off on the right track and you're enjoying high school. I can't wait for Mitsui to get into an official game again, too! He'll have a lot to prove this time around.

Takeshi is meant to represent the new breed of "scoring point guards" in the NBA, so both his playstyle and his personality are probably a bit off-putting. I agree that he's irritating at times, but it's because he's very passionate! Sakuragi is the same way, except Sakuragi's antics are hilarious and Takeshi's are sometimes just downright offensive. And really, thanks again for taking the time to review!

* * *

**Chapter 74 – Guard Play, Part II**

Matsumaru flicked the ball to Keita for the check. After Keita tapped the ball back, Matsumaru did what Miyagi predicted would happen: he instantly shot a pass to Maki.

Miyagi stayed silent as he watched Maki face up Takeshi, the two Kainan guards too concentrated to engage in further trash talk. Though Miyagi could not voice his reservations about Takeshi guarding Maki, a part of him felt aggravated upon seeing his teammate so eager to try and guard the university first-year. While Miyagi admittedly had the courage to at least imagine ways to stop both Fujima and Maki at once, he certainly had enough sense to know that it was an egotistical, even idiotic decision for any one person to _want _to guard what many had dubbed "Monster" during his playing years.

After all, Maki was formerly the very best player in Kanagawa for a reason.

Maki immediately confirmed Miyagi's suspicions by simply lowering his shoulder and barreling right for the basket. Though Takeshi could keep up with his athleticism alone, Maki did not even seem to register the defense from the much slighter player. All it took was a shoulder right to Takeshi's chest to knock the other player away, and in the next second Maki had enough space to simply go in for the layup. 2-2 in an instant. With ridiculous ease.

Maki stared down Takeshi after the shot, admonishing. The differences in their physiques suddenly seemed all the more apparent to everyone on the court, just by that one play.

"That's the best you can do?" Maki asked, not even in any sort of joking or challenging manner. The earlier fire in Takeshi seemed to dampen, the younger player suddenly unable to offer a response

Because he now saw that difference, too.

Miyagi knew the feeling. He had faced Maki down before, last year. He had started hopeful, not completely unlike Takeshi, thinking that he had a chance. After all, he had just faced Shoyo's Fujima and held his own. And he even held Maki at bay for the first-half of their game.

But there was simply a different world when it came to Maki, one that few could surmount. It was a world that separated Fujima from Maki, just enough.

And that world was "power."

Miyagi had never faced a point guard with such a combination of raw strength and technique. Strength to go up against Akagi himself and not be swayed. Strength to stare down Sakuragi and still try to interfere with the shot. Miyagi had not been completely embarrassed against Maki, but only because he had three other players at his back ready to collapse on Maki for the four-player trap. And that's why Miyagi knew that dawning look in Takeshi's eyes.

Takeshi had been naïve. He didn't have what it truly took to stop a player of Maki's caliber.

_I can't help him, though. I can't leave Fujima without reason,_ Miyagi thought, giving the other player a glance out of the corner of his eye. Fujima had been watching the play just as the others did, no doubt wishing that he was the one guarding Maki.

But that would not be naiveté. That would be a _real_ match.

Shoyo's Fujima had generally been viewed as being inferior to Maki. But that difference, in Miyagi's eyes, was so slight that any person that had faced down the left-handed player would understand that it almost didn't exist.

Fujima could not be directly compared to Maki because his strengths were different. His weaknesses were different. But there was a reason that Maki recognized Fujima, even as others had written him off. Because no one could understand what the left-handed player had to sacrifice. What he had to give up. How much further he could have been, if he had the chance.

If Fujima had been on Kainan would they have been a lesser team? And if Maki had been in Fujima's position, never seeing minutes on the courts, forced to coach far more than he played, would he have thrived still? It was those sort of what-ifs that Miyagi had pondered that had made him see why Fujima had been able to will Shoyo to the Nationals, time and again. And why he was one of Maki's few true adversaries.

Miyagi refocused his attention on the game. Matsumaru had checked the ball and was again delivering the ball to Maki. But instead of facing up, Maki had simply posted up Takeshi and gotten deep position with little trouble. And that close to the basket, Takeshi's freakish athleticism meant nothing in the face of such power.

"You damn geezer!" Takeshi shouted in frustration. It was all he could do as Maki lowered his head and simply bulldozed in, the younger player unable to even challenge his shot as Maki again went in for a lay-up. 3-2.

"One more!" Takeshi shot Miyagi a wild look, as if predicting what the Shohoku point guard had been about to say. "Give me one more shot at this guy!"

"Do what you want," Miyagi shrugged, realizing that even if he refused Takeshi wouldn't have listened. That Takeshi had asked at all was more respect than Miyagi had expected.

"Damnit," Takeshi cursed under his breath, placing an elbow against the small of Maki's back to try and force him out. "You won't get another that easy."

"Heh," Maki managed a chuckle, one that was filled with just enough skepticism that Takeshi felt the fire in his belly burn anew. Takeshi grit his teeth in preparation as soon as he saw Matsumaru deliver another pass to Maki. He sensed the shift in Maki's muscles when the other player made a strong dribble backwards. His wide frame made it difficult for Takeshi to even try and attempt a steal from behind.

Within seconds, Maki had again bullied Takeshi to a spot under the basket. Just as Maki dipped to his left shoulder and prepared to spin off Takeshi, a blur moved from behind Takeshi and cut off Maki's drive before it could begin. Maki was forced to dribble the ball out, giving up his position as the figure retreated.

"…that guy," Miyagi managed with a hidden, approving smile as Keita moved back to guard Matsumaru.

The Sannoh point guard, unlike Miyagi, had reached the limits of his patience with allowing Takeshi to squander their lead. Though Matsumaru had been left open for a few moments, Keita had chanced the threat of a double if only to prevent the easy bucket. As Maki had guessed correctly, the goal of winning, no matter the situation, was the priority of those that had been trained under Sannoh.

"Too bad," Maki boomed, shooting Takeshi a look. Maki did not look deterred whatsoever. "I didn't want to have to do it like this. He did not do you any favors."

"What do you—" Takeshi trailed off in a sputter as Maki shot forward, too quickly this time for Keita or Miyagi to react. Takeshi stayed in front of his man but was simply knocked aside by the tank of muscle that was Maki. Just as it looked like Maki had an easy path to the basket, Takeshi shot forward with a renewed burst of speed, refusing to give up on the play.

"Get that out of here!" Takeshi shouted, leaping into the air to block the shot. Maki, however, had no intentions of being denied and lifted into the air as well, using his off-arm to drive his forearm right into Takeshi's chest—

—before he threw down a thunderous, one-handed dunk on top of Takeshi's head that left a metallic, ringing echo throughout the courts.

Maki landed easily, giving the collapsed Takeshi a long, pointed stare. Takeshi could only look up at the massive figure, the younger Kainan point guard now in a sitting position on the concrete. His palms were scabbed and bloodied from catching the burnt of the fall.

"...Monster," Matsumaru murmured in awe, just loud enough. Miyagi couldn't help but silently agree.

"This is a joke," Fujima shook his head, disgusted with the ease at which Maki was dominating Takeshi. Maki tapped the loose ball back out to the top of the key where Matsumaru was waiting.

"If you don't want to lose, then you'll know your place." Maki looked away disdainfully. "Newbie."

Maki turned, leaving Takeshi to pick himself up. Neither Miyagi nor Keita went to help their teammate—this was not the time to show any pity.

"Keita," Miyagi said quietly over his shoulder.

"Obviously," Keita agreed, moving off Matsumaru to guard Maki. Everyone waited patiently for Takeshi to gather himself and slink quietly into position in front of Matsumaru to receive the check.

"Ready?" Matsumaru asked aloud, bouncing the ball to Takeshi.

Takeshi bumped the ball back with a closed fist, now quiet. Matsumaru took it as agreement and swung a pass immediately to Maki again, who was facing up Keita directly.

Maki didn't hesitate in making his move, trying to lose Keita with the same drive that had fell Takeshi moments ago. However unlike Takeshi, even when Maki drove his shoulder right into Keita's chest the other guard held his ground and even made a swipe at the ball. The reach-in missed but forced Maki to hesitate and instinctively stop his dribble for fear of getting it stolen. As Keita stumbled back from the force of the blow, Maki was momentarily free and he lifted up into his jump shot. Just as he began his release a strong pressure against the ball forced it out of his hands, completely negating the shot.

Maki turned in time to see Miyagi skipping away with the ball after the block, making an instinctive crossover to avoid Fujima from snatching it away. In the next moment, he smoothly turned the dribble into a lightning quick one-handed pass right to the open Keita. Maki was unable to cover the ground that he himself had created and Keita banked the shot in, forcing the scores to 4-3, seniors' lead.

"Knew you wouldn't give the ball up there," Miyagi grinned towards Maki.

"Dangerous," Maki stated, referencing Miyagi leaving Fujima completely open.

"Knew you wouldn't," Miyagi repeated as he strode off towards the top of the key. Keita took a few moments to gather himself, having had the wind knocked out of him courtesy of Maki.

_To tip this in our favor the only thing we can do is take risks,_ Miyagi thought to himself, tossing the ball to Fujima for the check. Despite his words to Maki, Miyagi was aware that what he had done was not a safe play; nevertheless, he also knew that it was the best play to make under the circumstances. He had never been one to always take the safe route, besides.

Miyagi saw Keita give a discreet nod towards him, indicating that he was ready to keep going. Miyagi got the ball back and considered his options, unsure who could be relied on to try and tie the game back up.

_The fact is they can mostly single-cover us on defense and we don't have that luxury. But if it's only a single person guarding him, I still have faith in…_

Miyagi faked a pass to Keita before swinging the ball to Takeshi, placing full confidence in Takeshi's elite athleticism and nigh-unguardable first-step. Although he had been embarrassed moments earlier, Takeshi seemed focused on the game again and stared down Matsumaru, judging the spacing between the two.

Miyagi, with his trained eyes, noticed that Matsumaru had already made a minute adjustment in his defensive positioning since getting scored on last time. As Miyagi correctly deduced when defending Takeshi during the Kainan game, playing up close prevented Takeshi from utilizing his first step- crowding his space gave Takeshi no maneuverability. While Takeshi pondered what to do, Matsumaru's arm abruptly shot from up and under, actions so fluid and angled perfectly at Takeshi's blind spot that Miyagi's memory instantly recalled having seen the same thing before.

_That move… he used it against me during yesterday's game, too!_

"Shit!" Takeshi cursed as the ball rocketed out of his hands. Though Takeshi and Miyagi both reacted and tried to beat Matsumaru to the ball, Matsumaru had gained enough forward momentum that he was able to secure the steal first. Sensing the two defenders approaching, Matsumaru swung a blind, but nonetheless amazingly accurate over-the-shoulder pass to Maki. Maki's strength proved to be too much for Keita to handle and he simply powered his way to the rim, knocking Keita away with his broad shoulders and going in for the layup. 5-3.

"Good pass," Maki complimented his teammate, moving over to give Matsumaru a fist-bump. Fujima did likewise, the seniors already comfortable with one another.

It was not the same story for the other three players.

"Why'd you rotate over? I got him," Takeshi complained. Miyagi would have none of it.

"You got who? Protect the ball with your body. I thought every point guard knew that much," Miyagi snapped, more upset that Takeshi had turned the ball over than his complaints about Miyagi coming over to help on defense. "We can't get anything going like this."

"…maybe if he stopped playing one-on-one all the time," Keita said from nearby, not finishing the thought but saying enough for Takeshi to whirl on him.

"I don't see you doing any better. Oh wise Sannoh player, should we be bowing in respect to everything you say?"

Keita gave Takeshi a smoldering glare, one that Miyagi had never seen from the normally reserved point guard.

"You've got no discipline."

"Yeah? I'd be glad to go head-to-head against you after this one," Takeshi returned, not backing down an inch.

"That's the problem. It's the only thing you know how to do."

"Tch." Takeshi turned, ending the conversation as he moved towards the top of the key to check the ball. Keita placed his hands on his hips and gave Miyagi a sidelong glance.

"He doesn't even know how to play," Keita commented, clearly upset that the team was behind, and in large part due to Takeshi.

Miyagi found himself unable to defend Takeshi upon hearing Keita's assertion. Keita took the silence as agreement and walked away to guard Maki again. However it was not that Miyagi agreed, but that he knew he could not offer evidence to convince Keita otherwise.

Miyagi had seen Takeshi play first-hand for an entire game. His raw talent was undeniable. But what Keita had said was true: he lacked discipline in many aspects. Even though Takeshi was playing a more complete style of basketball than what Miyagi had seen during most of the Kainan game and had tried to fit in with his teammates, it was clearly not enough— especially not against the likes of their current opponents.

But Miyagi found himself believing, still. Being captain of the oftentimes unpredictable Shohoku had taught him that much.

Fujima, who had been standing nearby, watched the argument silently and said nothing even after the ball was checked and Miyagi rotated back over to guard him at the perimeter. However, the very first thing he did as soon as Matsumaru had checked the ball was raise his hand, indicating that he wanted his chance at attacking.

Matsumaru complied, lobbing up a safe pass for Fujima to catch. Fujima brought the ball low, looking as if he was prepared to drive. Miyagi shifted his feet, preparing himself.

"You should know better, Miyagi."

"What?" Miyagi glanced up, just in time to see Fujima take a dribble backwards so he was standing outside the three-point line.

"I'm not comfortable with just a lead."

Fujima lifted into the air, releasing the ball before Miyagi could even make an attempt to challenge the shot. The ball traced a low arc through the air before snapping through the net.

Fujima held out his index and thumb, meant to indicate two points but looking appropriately like a marksman. A confident smile stretched across his features.

"Completely defeating the opponent has always been my philosophy."

"...heh," Miyagi smirked back, looking unperturbed by the setback. Deep inside, however, he was already berating himself for not even disrupting the three-pointer.

_The shooting form and timing of a left-handed player… I have to remember that it's very different than what I'm used to!_

"This is too easy, yo!" Matsumaru yelled as he checked the ball again with Takeshi. "Might have to start playing with one hand!"

Takeshi's brow furrowed in rage, instantly reacting to Matsumaru's insult but unable to say anything in return. Matsumaru clapped the ball over his head and heaved an overhead pass to Maki, who was establishing low post position on Keita.

"I got you! I got you!" Miyagi barked to Keita, aligning himself so that he could watch both Fujima and Maki... and help if need be. Keita lowered his ground and gave Maki a powerful shove to the small of his back, forcing Maki a few inches away just before he caught the ball. Maki was clearly still comfortable playing with his back to the basket, dribbling low and trying to muscle his way inside to regain the ground he had lost. Without a head of steam, however, Keita was able to hold his ground and prevent Maki from getting any closer.

Realizing that he could not advance, Maki made a move towards the center of the court. At the exact same moment, Fujima and Matsumaru both took off from where they were standing—Fujima right towards Maki, and Matsumaru around the arc so he would be positioned for an open three-pointer. However both Miyagi and Takeshi covered their defensive assignments well, and Maki was unable to get a good passing angle for either of them.

Now out of options, Maki drove a shoulder into Keita to create space before leaning back into a fadeaway that clipped off the front of the rim. Just as the ball bounced out, Fujima pushed off Miyagi and sprinted forward. Though Miyagi was able to close the distance between the two, Fujima already had rebounding position and simply used his height advantage to tap the miss back in with his left hand. 8-3.

"I always have to clean up your messes," Fujima commented sarcastically, not waiting for Maki's reply as he brushed past Miyagi and moved back out towards the perimeter. Maki offered an amused smile to Fujima's back nevertheless.

"This is embarrassing," Keita mumbled, purposefully loud enough so his two teammates could hear him. He had every right to be frustrated—he had managed to stop his opponent but none of his teammates had been there to secure the rebound. Neither Miyagi nor Takeshi said anything in return, instead trudging off to guard the next possession.

After the check, Matsumaru shot a pass to Fujima outside the perimeter again. Miyagi surged forward, giving Fujima no breathing room to get a shot up and daring the other guard to beat Miyagi with his dribbling and speed alone. Fujima had only the former in mind and again made use of his height, turning around and backing in to Miyagi from the three-point line. Miyagi, thinking quickly, decided to not push back as hard as he could in fear of Fujima performing some sort of spin move and leaving him behind. Instead, he allowed Fujima to gain just enough ground towards the basket so Keita would be able to rotate over for the help defense if need be.

Matsumaru took off into a run, dragging Takeshi with him. Instead of making his way towards Fujima, however, he instead shot towards Maki. Maki instantly picked up on what Matsumaru was doing and set a screen, stopping Takeshi in his tracks as Matsumaru broke away unguarded.

Keita's eyes narrowed in quiet fury, the duo's teamwork forcing his hand as he now had to rotate off Maki and chase after Matsumaru to prevent a layup. Fujima reacted instantly and made a cross-court bounce pass to Maki, who was now facing up Takeshi rather than Keita. It was a brilliant play by Matsumaru, setting up Maki to go against the shorter and weaker Takeshi.

"Shit," Miyagi realized, unable to do anything as Maki pushed towards the basket, Takeshi stumbling backwards trying to keep him out. Miyagi waited for the last possible moment before he broke away from Fujima, dashing forward to try and get a steal off Maki. It was too little, too late as Maki lifted into the air, ready to lay the shot in.

"Don't just give up!" Keita shouted without pretense, this being another first for Miyagi as it was the first time he had heard the other guard ever raise his voice.

But Keita's words were not aimed at Miyagi.

Instead it was Takeshi, who was indeed out of position but not out of the play, that heeded the command as he tensed low and shot into the air, bringing his unbelievable athleticism to bear. His arm extended skyward, easily eclipsing the rim as he managed to knock Maki's shot off-target during its ascent. The ball clanged off the side of the rim allowing Miyagi, who had already been heading in that direction, to pick off the rebound and race out towards the three-point line.

"In front, Takeshi!" Miyagi yelled, waving his arm forward in instruction. Takeshi bumped against Maki and swung off his elbow, reversing their roles as Takeshi was now the one to get position on Maki. Maki's strength proved to be too much and he simply pushed against Takeshi's back to move him out of the post.

"…wrong person, Maki," Miyagi grinned as he reared back and rocketed a blazing quick pass, not to Takeshi to Keita, who was curling across the middle of the court with Matsumaru a step behind. The chaos of the broken play was suddenly brought together as Keita caught the ball in motion, turning on his heel and lifting up into a fadeaway over Matsumaru's outstretched arms that caught nothing but net. 8-4.

"Wouldn't be getting cocky if I were you," Miyagi commented to Fujima, who had been in the process of fighting his way towards Miyagi. Fujima gave Miyagi a tilt of the head in response, skeptical. Maki could only collect the loose ball and shake his head in disbelief at having his shot knocked off course by Takeshi. Takeshi had enough sense to not gloat about the play—it was but a small payback against the earlier embarrassments he had suffered against Maki.

Miyagi caught the pass from Maki and moved to the top of the key, checking the ball with Fujima to start up the next possession. As soon as the ball was back in his hands, Miyagi flicked the ball to Keita, trusting the steady Sannoh guard to help the team catch up.

Keita wasted no time, putting the ball on the floor immediately and forcing a drive towards the basket. Maki's broad frame was too much to maneuver around and within a few steps Keita could push his way in no longer. Without any good options remaining, Keita threw the ball back out to Miyagi.

Miyagi jumped into the air and caught the high pass, Keita purposefully delivering it in a way so Fujima couldn't steal it. After landing Miyagi tried a drive of his own, knowing that in terms of raw speed he had the edge against Fujima. Though he was not able to get a step on Fujima, Miyagi was able to make it just past the free-throw line before he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Miyagi shot a pass to Takeshi, who had managed to get open from Matsumaru at the baseline. Takeshi lifted into the air and took the jump shot, the ball missing off the inner part of the rim. While Miyagi was in the vicinity to get the rebound, Fujima again utilized his height advantage and boxed Miyagi out, tapping the ball away towards Maki so he could secure the possession.

"Don't lose your man!" Miyagi shouted as his team was forced to switch back onto defense without any stoppage in the play. Maki dribbling the ball outside of the corner three-point line before firing a pass to Matsumaru near the top of the key. Matsumaru gave a powerful one-two dribble from his right to his left and back, meant to throw Takeshi off-balance. Seeing that Takeshi was not fooled, Matsumaru faked a drive right before making another crossover, some of his buried street game rearing its head as he managed to fake out Takeshi enough to get past.

Keita rotated off Maki, attempting a swipe-in at the ball but failing as Matsumaru picked up his dribble and fired a pass back to the now-open Maki. Keita whirled around, out of position. However, Maki opted not to take the three-pointer and instead drove for the basket, causing disarray in the defense as Keita was too far away to catch up and Takeshi and Miyagi were both reluctant to leave their assignments.

With no options, Miyagi was forced to chase after Maki as Takeshi did likewise, attempting to get in any potential passing lane if Maki decided to pass. Maki did indeed make a pass, but it was not to the streaking Matsumaru down under the basket—but to Fujima, standing open at the opposite corner three-point line.

"Close out!" Miyagi instructed, giving Takeshi a shove in the back to push him towards Fujima's direction. With Takeshi's athleticism he was able to close the gap within a few seconds, but it was already too late. Fujima's second three-pointer of the game was true, and in an instant the lead for the seniors was now 6.

"Shit," Miyagi and Takeshi intoned at the same time, both upset for failing to get a defensive stop. Keita stood apart from the two, merely watching the seniors high five one another as he caught his breath.

"Their spacing is too good," Keita finally managed, leaving it at that. Despite being so far behind, the body language of Miyagi's team did not contain any signs of resignation as they strode forward to match their defensive assignments once again.

As Matsumaru checked the ball, Miyagi stood off to the side of the court with Fujima, part of his attention focused on the game but the rest focused on the consideration of one thing:

What it would take to win.

Before the game had started, both of his teammates had entrusted him with the task of starting with the ball and thereby deciding the offense. Though they have not had many opportunities to attack, Miyagi had to make use of the two talented players on his team, blending it with his talents somehow.

There would be a chance, Miyagi felt. There always was, in basketball. It would be up to them to take advantage of that chance, to find the single weakness in the other team's structure. No team was unbeatable—Shohoku's fight against Sannoh last year had fully convinced him of that.

A chance. They needed that chance.

_Risk. We have to take one soon, no matter what—_

Miyagi tensed, waiting, hoping against hope to see an opportunity. There was none this time, however—Matsumaru fired the ball over to Maki, who made a drive to the basket without any hesitation. By just using his off-arm he was able to keep Keita at bay, clearing space to give him a chance at a shot.

But Maki had gotten far too comfortable with the ease at which he was getting to the rim. Just as Maki stopped his dribble and prepared to bring the ball up, Keita made full use of that pause by snaking his arm around Maki's back and poking the ball free from the other side. The ball bounced away and Takeshi instantly reacted, zooming forward to try and pick up the steal. Maki managed to recover and snatch the ball back up, but when he turned he saw what had happened due to his near-turnover:

Takeshi was now joining Keita in a double-team, pinning Maki at the side of the baseline.

"Tch," Maki clicked his tongue and leapt into the air, heaving an overhead pass towards Matsumaru back at the top of the key. Just as he did so, however, a blur raced in from the corner of his eye and right towards Matsumaru, aiming to pick off the pass.

"Watch it!" Fujima shouted in warning, too late as Miyagi closed the distance far too quickly. Miyagi stuck an arm out and managed to knock the pass aside, yet was unable to secure it as it instead bounced free. The decision to steal, however, would prove to be the wrong one: Miyagi was now completely out of position. Instead Matsumaru shot forward and regained possession, and without anyone left to guard him, he made two quick dribbles closer to the basket before shooting up a floater before Takeshi and Keita could come over to challenge the shot. 11-4.

Miyagi winced, frustrated at the play and now feeling a new sharp pain in his injured finger; he had accidentally used his right hand to try and snatch the ball away and it had jammed right into his still-healing index. He shook his hand out and took a breath, opening and closing his fist to test the range of motion. Fortunately, he felt there was nothing amiss.

Miyagi glanced over at Takeshi and Keita. The three teammates said nothing, but as they stared at each other, their eyes communicated the same message:

Bad luck. Right idea, but bad luck. Move on and keep playing.

They did just that and rotated back to guard the seniors, Matsumaru already back at the top of the key and idly spinning the ball on his index finger as he waited for the others to get ready. Once everyone was in position, Matsumaru checked the ball and skipped the ball right back to Maki, clearly trusting the other player's dominant offense.

Maki was far more cautious of Keita this time, not immediately making any sudden movements but instead studying the opposition. Keita was crouched low in defensive position, ready to spring at a moment's notice. Maki could not confirm anything, but that Keita had been able to time exactly when to attempt the steal against him meant that Keita had at least sensed the type of rhythm Maki preferred to get into when attempting a shot.

If Miyagi could have peeked at Maki's thoughts, he would have agreed: of all the point guards he had played this year, Keita had been the only one to completely exhaust Miyagi due to his tenacious, intelligent defense.

Maki made an abrupt shot fake, trying to force Keita to tense. But Keita didn't—Maki had held the ball long enough that Keita didn't believe Maki was in rhythm to attempt a jump shot. Maki managed to let a smirk slip past, admiring of Keita's willingness to trust intuition, before he placed the ball on the floor and again broke for a closer position to the basket. The story was the same: though Keita was able to keep Maki in front of him, Maki's sheer strength made it difficult to completely impede his progress.

But again, a blur at the corner of Maki's eye. Maki instinctively stopped his dribble, a bit farther away then he would have preferred, and lifted the ball up just in time to avoid Miyagi stealing it away. Maki immediately turned his head, scanning for a pass route to Fujima. Seeing one, he skipped the ball back out to his rival, who was already making his way closer to the congregation of players in the post. Fujima collected the bounce pass and made two more steps before lifting into the air, stopping just short of getting into range of Miyagi's defense. Though Takeshi had already begun to rotate over, it was not early enough as Fujima was able to get the shot off.

Much to Miyagi's relief, the ball clanged off the back of the rim and bounced high into the air. Miyagi and Keita both rotated in front of Maki to box out the other player, each practically sitting on Maki's thighs so the other player could get no elevation to get the offensive rebound. But Maki did not need to jump to secure the ball; with an armbar directly into both of the other players' backs, he was able to muscle them off just as the ball began its descent, using all of his experience to re-steal the rebound and power his way back up to lay in the ball. 12-4.

"DAMNIT!" Miyagi shouted in frustration, unable to hold back his aggravation any longer. In an official game, what Maki had done would be a foul. But because there were no refs and a "call-your-own-foul" policy, neither Keita nor Miyagi were willing to claim that Maki had fouled them lest they look like whiners. Takeshi looked as if he was about to say something but decided against it, instead resuming his place at the top of the key.

While Miyagi moved off to guard Fujima again, fuming silently now, Maki watched the other point guard and felt a sudden bout of uneasiness.

Miyagi had attempted steals in both of the previous possessions. In most people's cases, Maki would assign it as desperation, even foolishness, to leave someone like Fujima open. But Miyagi was too sharp and quick of a player for Maki to make that presumption.

No. Miyagi _wanted _to instill Maki with that piece of information: that the game was at a point where Miyagi was willing to go for the steal, even if he would leave Fujima open. And with Miyagi's speed, that threat was as real as any.

But it was desperation, all the same, to leave Fujima open. That was the bottom line.

Unless he was doing it as a setup. Miyagi could not be blind to the fact that Fujima was in good shooting form today.

Maki shook his head free from those thoughts as play resumed and Matsumaru again passed him the ball. He was overthinking it.

Matsumaru raced over to set a screen for Maki, detecting that Keita's defense was a worthy challenge. While Maki wanted to send Matsumaru away and take Keita one-on-one again, he decided that widening the scores was more important. Maki took full advantage of the screen, racing around the obstruction and leaving Keita a step behind. But as he advanced forward, Takeshi stood at the ready, leaving his man to guard the ball-handler.

Keita behind. Takeshi in front.

It was not a hard decision for Maki.

He lowered his head and continued to advance forward, barreling into Takeshi and forcing the younger point guard to pedal backwards to avoid getting knocked over. Yet Takeshi's defense was enough to momentarily slow Maki, preventing him from getting a full head of steam and giving Keita the opportunity to catch up.

Maki was now enclosed in a double-team, but not a threatening one—he was still on the move and still had his dribble. Maki tilted his head, gauging Matsumaru's location with his peripheral vision. Matsumaru had positioned himself at a good passing angle, ready to rescue the play if Maki decided to pass the ball out.

He could do that. Matsumaru was the only passing option: Miyagi was still guarding Fujima, undoubtedly.

But Maki picked up his dribble, ready to shoot the jump shot instead. And just as he did so, he heard Fujima, too late:

"Watch out!"

Maki was unable to fully register the warning because Miyagi knocked the ball out of his hands at that exact moment, timing his steal exactly. Maki whirled around and saw Miyagi sprinting for the loose ball, straining with effort because the ball was bouncing in Matsumaru's direction. Miyagi reached the ball first, but his forward momentum was too much and he was already approaching the sidelines; even if he got under control, Matsumaru would undoubtedly be able to trap him there.

And that was when Miyagi leapt into the air.

_What is he…?_ Maki wondered, making the connection as soon as he saw Miyagi, with his back still facing the basket, move his arms out to make a pass.

But it was not to any of his teammates. Instead, he threw the ball full-force at Matsumaru's ankles, causing the ball to glance off Matsumaru's shoe and bounce out of bounds.

Miyagi skipped to a stop before turning and pointing at Matsumaru.

"Off you."

"Shit," Matsumaru managed, more amused than anything.

"Our ball!" Miyagi announced, excitement in his step as he jogged after the basketball before it could get too far away. Fujima sidled up to Maki.

"Cocky as always, you are. You look so pleased that they sent a triple-team after you. In a street game," Fujima said, looking displeased that Maki had a smile on his face. But Fujima had guessed incorrectly as to the reason Maki was smiling.

"So. It really was desperation," Maki mused, watching Miyagi make his way back to the others with the ball in hand. "Or was it confidence?"

"What are you talking about? Miyagi?" Fujima guessed.

"It's been so long since we played him. It's just… very interesting," Maki surmised, walking towards Keita to mark him. Before he could, Miyagi jabbed the fingers of one hand into the palm of his other while cradling the ball, making the universal "time-out" signal.

"Hey, hey! I want to talk to my team for a second."

"Oh come on man. Where you think we playin'?" Matsumaru groaned, having none of it. "This is just for fun."

"Yeah, shut up. I want a time-out."

"Why not," Maki chuckled, motioning for Matsumaru to join him and Fujima so the other players could have privacy. "The way they're losing, they need to gather themselves."

Miyagi gave Maki a thankful grin, looking far more relaxed than Maki had expected him to be. Perhaps it was because informal street games were where Miyagi was most at home—but Maki felt something more there.

Confidence. Again, confidence. Not giving up, even with possible defeat looming. Maki could not help but admire that trait.

Keita and Takeshi huddled around Miyagi, the other two forced to stoop just slightly due to the other guard's stature. Miyagi kept his voice low, not wanting the opponents to hear.

"We're getting our asses kicked," Miyagi started, his words completely opposite to what his demeanor had suggested. "Can't guard any of them."

"The hell you talking about?" Takeshi complained. Keita likewise shook his head, disagreeing.

"No, you guys have to admit that. We can't defend any of them one-on-one. Well you can," Miyagi nodded towards Keita, "but at this rate they score a few more and we're out. Don't want to take that chance."

"It's Maki. It's very difficult to stop him once he can pick up some speed," Keita relented. "It's no wonder Fukatsu-senpai remembered him. He would make us watch tape to study how he managed to get that Kainan shooter open."

"Oh. Yeah, you mean Jin. Anyway, that's not important. From the way I see things, there's only one thing that we can match them at." Miyagi looked straight at Takeshi, making sure that the youngest point guard would hear the words and draw confidence from it.

"Offense. Not straight up, cause if we go one-on-one they won't let us get a step. That's why I think we need some roles. Designated assignments."

"Teamwork you mean," Keita said, giving Takeshi a look that wasn't as kind as Miyagi's. Takeshi didn't notice, instead listening attentively to Miyagi. Takeshi clearly held Miyagi in esteem due to his loss at Shohoku's hands.

"Yeah. Listen, score's 12-4. We got to catch up and do it in one big go. They get the ball back and we probably lose. So that means the only way we can win is to go on an 11-0 run. Get to 15 and win without letting them go on offense again."

Keita managed a disbelieving chuckle. Takeshi didn't say a word.

"We're sunk anyway if we don't score a few points." Miyagi took a breath, unsure if he was just making stuff up or if he really had a plan. But he was learning to accept that position: taking leadership responsibility, even if he wasn't sure. Mitsui had done plenty to convince him that was the only way to grow into the role.

"So are you guys in?"

Takeshi didn't hesitate. "Anything to put that senile senpai of mine in his place."

Miyagi nodded. "Keita?"

"I'm listening."

Miyagi gave them both a toothy grin.

"That's what I like to hear."


	76. Chapter 75

_Disclaimer: As usual, the characters in Slam Dunk do not belong to me and belong to their respective owner(s). Aside from the characters I create, I do not mean to infringe on any current copyrights on the series and this fan fiction is merely a means of promoting Slam Dunk and to serve as a creative outlet for my writing. Thank you._

_Author's Note: I'd just like to thank all the readers and writers on FanFiction. Also, thanks to Inoue Takehiko for creating this wonderful series and I hope he knows we are all still expecting that sequel someday._

**Reviews:**

MAN OH MAN. This one took FOREVER. I've been busy with a fair amount of other things, but this chapter should have still come quicker than it did. I guess tardiness is becoming as much a theme for this story as basketball is.

Kumokoyun – Yep, Miyagi is quite the daredevil! But he's always been a bit cheeky, hasn't he? Thanks for reviewing!

Aznpikachu215 – Everything you said I completely agree with. Thanks so much for reading.

Nigel – It was nice to cut back into all out basketball again! And I'm glad to hear how your team is doing. Now it's been so long since I last was able to hear updates from you, let me know how your team is doing! How's your recovery from injury been? Have you gotten back on the court?

Sailor Goan Donut – Thanks for the review!

Iron Duke – Maki is definitely a bruiser. And I agree that it was crazy Maki didn't post up anyone. Maybe he didn't have that in his game? I wouldn't believe that unless Inoue straight told me, though. Big guys that want to use their strength almost always have some sort of post game. Thanks so much for reading, my man.

Jcbat21 – Hey, thanks a lot for reading through everything! And my apologies for this chapter being so much later than you probably expected, I hope you enjoy it.

Gwen – Maki is definitely a major badass. Let's see how Miyagi and his team does! Thanks for reviewing!

Reboundking95 – Great to hear you're a basketball fan! I hope you're doing well on your college team and that you're kicking butt! I don't have a Facebook so sorry about that. Thanks a lot for reviewing!

Laziness Incarnate – While Miyagi is risking himself, who would turn down a chance to play against these guys? (Not me, I says!)

Thanks so much for your corrections and suggestions. Will change, will change. And thank you so much for reading!

Guest – My bad! The early chapters are such a thorn in my side. Thanks for catching it.

Martin F – Dude, how have you been? How's your team doing? UPDATE ME. I must hear stories of your victories. (Please tell me they're victories.) And thanks so much for reviewing, as usual!

Avinash – Yep, I overlapped way too many things in the early chapters. Back then I had the mindset of wanting to show similar situations as a means of showing that history could repeat, but it was too much. As I rewrite it (I keep saying that but I really have been making super slow progress cause it's a lot of work and I'm lazy) I try to smooth things over and really make the fic. my own, but I totally agree with you that the early chapters were mediocre. I hope you keep reading and reach this point someday so you can see this and hopefully see whether or not I've improved!

The Girl in The Green Scarf – Hey there! Have you graduated by now? Furthermore, have you played even more basketball since then? I hope you have, and I hope you've been having a lot of fun and growing up! Thank you so much for reviewing!

Danny – Thanks for the review man, Slam Dunk is awesome!

Superhet0017 – Thank you so much for your review and interest in my story. I'm glad to hear you enjoy it.

Guest – We'll have to see! Thanks for your review!

Jinny – Aw, thank you. I hope that the later chapters are also to your liking.

Haley17 – There will definitely be some romance, but I'm not planning on doing too much. Thanks so much for your review!

I love you KLS – Here you go!

Canfelli – Sorry to leave you hanging for so long, but here I am! And here's a chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 75 – Miyagi Ryota**

_i. __fearless_

"_Takasuka Keita_

-Good teammate and a competent point guard."

At the end of a list showing his middle-school basketball statistics, Sannoh's scouting report on Keita was summed up in a single, boring sentence.

Good teammate and a competent point guard.

The lack of details was to be expected. Keita hadn't been actively recruited like some of his star seniors and he didn't come from a strong basketball middle-school. But seeing his basketball career condensed to a sentence seemed strange to Keita, even unbelievable. Though his middle-school hadn't been strong in athletics, he had still been the starter all three years and had been paired with his infamous teammate Sorimachi Hiromu, a crowd-favorite due to his flashy playstyle. At least a few more sentences of description felt warranted to describe all that he had done.

But the world of basketball was large. Too large. And in his early days at Sannoh, his skillset was reduced by the high school's scouts to that solitary blurb.

Good teammate. Competent point guard.

He got some jokes about it from a few second-years as early as when he made it past the tryouts, but Keita grew to truly _loathe_ the report when the third-years joined the heckling. It was during the first-year practice when he had to endure the most taunting, and that was worst time to be made fun of. Workouts at Sannoh had always ended with Keita gasping on the merciless hardwood, hands and knees slippery with sweat. And it was when he was at his most fatigued that the old-hands of the team, their stamina honed to withstand far more than the first thirty sets of shuttle-runs, would sprint past his prone form and crow "A _'good'_ teammate would get out of the way!" "I hope the _'good'_ point guard doesn't puke again!"

He was always wondering, back then. Why he put himself through it. Sorimachi Hiromu had warned him, in that typical head-in-the-clouds way, about what it meant to be part of Sannoh back during middle school.

"You're seriously going to Sannoh?" Hiromu had whispered in a hush, as if talking about a horrific creature that sprang to life upon utterance. "Don't do it. Just join me at Daiei High. It's too much stress at Sannoh. You get wiped out from the pressure, I hear. And that's not even assuming you get to play."

After Keita calmly reminded Hiromu that they could discuss this when they weren't in the middle of an important qualifying tournament game, the days following the team's elimination Keita would turn those words over and over again in his mind.

But even knowing Sannoh's reputation for grinding out any but the strongest players, Keita still went. He wasn't quite sure why. And during each practice, after he danced his familiar dance with hardwood and limbs, something made him stand up time and time again with his seniors' jeers ringing in his ears. Keita became the player he was through those insults, in the end—it was what made him sprint just a bit farther, his gulping huffs coming out in screechy whistles that made the upper classmen taunt him all the more.

Until the day he caught up to them in the middle of his first year.

Until the day he finally got a chance to play the upperclassmen in practice and had put up such a fight with his first-year team that Doumoto-sensei assigned Fukatsu to take Keita under his wing. The heckling fell completely silent then.

Instead the jokes, now good-natured, changed targets. Fukatsu was the sucker, the one that had to babysit the first-year that pushed him hard in practice. But Fukatsu had never seemed offended by the assignment. Keita learned that he had won the others' respect when he overheard Fukatsu finally answer Nobe's prodding after a scrimmage, about what was so great about that first-year kid:

"Cold-blooded, yo. You can't teach that. Takasuka ain't scared of _anything._"

Keita wasn't so sure about that rationale. (He was actually quite afraid of his mother's cooking, for one.) He continued to believe the new expectations were just because Fukatsu and the others had figured out Keita was a good teammate and a good point guard.

But the media's response was similar to his teammates. A natural leader, they called him after his first official game. A budding point guard with the potential to be another of Sannoh's greats.

And one question had come up too often to ignore:

Have you heard of Miyagi Ryota, from Shohoku High School? The player that had made Fukatsu look uncharacteristically imperfect?

Of course Keita had heard of Miyagi. Fukatsu, and importantly Sannoh, had trained him to never underestimate anyone. But Keita couldn't help but be confused when he studied tape of Miyagi's playing style, trying to pick out what made Miyagi so great a threat that even Fukatsu had been unable to fully contain the diminutive player.

Excellent dribbling, but no jumper to speak of. Quick, but sorely lacking in height. Gambled on defense far too often for it to be reasonable. A one dimensional-player on offense that only tried to get to the basket. Keita had almost nothing in common with this point guard.

But even still. Against all these odds. Miyagi had played outside of himself, more than himself, to squeeze out wins, again and again. Had been part of a team that had toppled the legendary Sannoh twice in a row. Miyagi was a winner, and thus he _had_ to share a common trait with Keita, with the players of Sannoh. That common unknowable something that would make a disheartened and no-name first-year keep running after his seniors in practice.

Assessing how Miyagi had willed Shohoku's wild team to victory time and again, Keita's initial conclusion was that Miyagi somehow made better decisions. Keita's most enduring advice from Fukatsu had been the senior's most simple:

"_There's only one ball on the court, yo." Fukatsu said as he tossed a ball between his hands in demonstration. "Cause we're point guards, we get to touch the ball almost every offensive possession. No other positions get to do that, yo. So it's your job to judge who on your team gets to touch the ball too. You're the big decision maker. Point guards can get the team a win just by making all the right choices, yo. If I see Masashi is doing good, he gets it. If Matsumoto is hot, he gets it. If everyone is sucking, I might take it in myself, yo."_

_He paused._

"_And if you don't know what to do, just give it to Sawakita. No one will rip you for that, yo."_

If it was just based off this criterion, Keita might have been able to say that Miyagi had followed it exactly: trust the ace, and no one will blame you. Miyagi had given the ball to Rukawa numerous times during their match, believing that the second-year star would figure it out.

But Keita knew better, if only because he still felt Sawakita had been the stronger ace compared to Rukawa. It had to be something more. Point guards made the decisions, but Keita wouldn't be able to come to terms with Sannoh's loss if it reduced down to "you both made the same decisions, but one player was given a better result." And leaving the huddle between Miyagi and Keita, he thought he finally had a better idea of what that something could be.

Miyagi settled at the three-point line, checking the ball with Fujima without a word. Maki lowered himself to a defensive position in front of Keita, ready to block off the pass.

Keita stood ready at the right side of the court, mind calm. Victory would not be easy. The three opponents showed no signs of letting up despite their 12-4 lead.

This only made Keita's senses sharper.

Fujima bounced the ball back to Miyagi. And Keita shot forward as soon as the ball left Fujima's fingertips, hands out for the pass.

Miyagi flung the ball to his right side, eyes still locked on Fujima as if he was still contemplating what to do with the ball. Keita noted this action with amusement but was unable to dwell on it once the pass safely reached him. Maki was already getting back into position in front of Keita, a step away and preparing for Keita to try and drive for the basket.

Excellent reaction. Keita would have done the same thing.

That's why Keita lifted into the air and shot the three-pointer instead.

* * *

"_I'll make it quick; they're already eyeing us to get back on the court." Miyagi glanced back at his two teammates after sneaking a look at the other huddle. "I have a few possessions planned out. Eight or nine. I don't know for sure."_

"_That means we have to get at least three three-pointers, if we can only score eight times," Keita instantly calculated, considering the more unlikely outcome. Though his eyes were trained on Miyagi, Keita caught a glimpse of Takeshi figuring out the calculation on his fingers. _

_Keita still had no idea what Miyagi really saw in the other "point guard."_

"_Right. Well, maybe less than eight if we can get a few more threes in there," Miyagi said easily, hands at his hips. Apparently he hadn't thought it through that well either. "So that's the very first play."_

_Though Miyagi's face was stony, his eyes were full of mirth when he looked towards Keita. "It's on you. Put up that three."_

* * *

Four of the six players stood in disbelief as the three-pointer swished through the bottom of the net; Keita could see that even Takeshi couldn't believe that it went in. Keita didn't fault his teammate for such a reaction, though. Because the play was—

* * *

"—_reckless and unnecessary."_

"_Sure," Miyagi agreed without a care. "But they'll be expecting some deep-level chess move from all this talking we're doing. They won't expect us to just jack up a three on the first shot." _

"_It's stupid," Keita repeated, giving Miyagi a glare and changing his tone so his opinion would not be in doubt. "It doesn't matter what the other guys are thinking. Risking a three right now is asking for us to lose."_

_Miyagi leaned in close to Keita, eyes flickering towards Takeshi so the first-year would buy in as well. _

"_And that's what this is. Do or die. Like I said, they get the ball back and they win. Except they're not going to get it back. They just don't know it yet."_

* * *

Miyagi chased down the loose ball, making sure to give Keita a wide, childish grin as he brought the ball back to the top of the key. It was as if they had gotten away with some great crime, the way Miyagi was reacting.

But Keita didn't feel much of anything. The Sannoh mantra was in his head, steeling his movements.

Win. Win. _Win._

This was only step one. Stumbling on step one meant they weren't winner material.

Miyagi checked the ball with Fujima again, now visibly struggling to hold in laughter. Maki looked equally amused at the play that his three opponents had decided on.

Maki's amusement dissipated quickly when Keita, having not moved from his previous position, pedaled two short steps backwards and caught another pass from Miyagi.

Keita saw it in Maki's eyes. The assumption was clear: those guys wouldn't dare do it again, especially not even farther out.

Keita raised the ball up.

Step two.

* * *

"_Okay. What's the next thing you had in mind?"_

_Miyagi held up his injured index finger, the joint tightly wrapped in tape. "Another three."_

_Keita could only stare blankly at the other point guard. Takeshi was giving Miyagi an equally incredulous look. _

"_You can't be serious." _

"_No choice. It doesn't matter if the first or second three goes in. It's more important that we shoot threes from the start. We just need one to go in. And then they'll think our plan is to just shoot our way back into the game." Miyagi met Keita's discomfort with a tone that was all too confident for the situation they were in._

"_And that's how we set our trap."_

* * *

_Miyagi. There was only one thing you didn't plan correctly,_ Keita thought as he released the ball from his hand, Maki flying after the shot a split second too late.

_It's not that it doesn't matter whether one or the other goes in._

Swish.

_They must _both_ go in_.

"12-8! Don't be getting comfortable with your lead!" Miyagi chortled, breaking the seconds-long silence as he went for the loose ball again. Keita stepped back closer to the three-point line, unconsciously shaking out his shooting arm to keep the muscles loose. Maki was watching Keita with a certain glower now, conveying a single message:

_That was the last shot you're going to get._

_Except it won't be,_ Keita didn't tell Maki, purposefully ignoring the provocation. _You know that, too. You know who I am. _

_I've played against Fukatsu, one of the best high school point guards ever, day in and day out. I've stared down Sawakita in practice as he drove down the lane, ready to dunk on me. I've been batted around by Masashi and Nobe for rebounds before I even played a single official game. I've played against the best Japan has to offer my entire high school career._

_I don't fear any player. Not a one. _

_I only fear the same thing you do. Losing._

"Damn," Takeshi said in an audible whisper when Miyagi brushed past him to get back to the top of the key. "He seriously did it. What do these Sannoh kids eat?"

"Still a ways to go," Miyagi reminded Takeshi, shooting Keita an approving look nevertheless. That Miyagi wasn't moved by Keita's threes—in fact, seemed expectant of the outcome—reinforced what Keita had taken from the huddle, and from Miyagi's plan to get them to a win.

Miyagi stared down Fujima, a confident smirk on his face despite his team still being down in points. The university player didn't appreciate the unspoken provocation and squatted deeper into his defensive position as Miyagi checked the ball once again.

"But not too much of a ways," Miyagi added, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"_Cold-blooded, yo. You can't teach that."_

Keita had been right. The two had some things in common, after all.

Keita refocused his attention on Maki and readied himself for the next play. Maki shuffled forward, his wide frame uncomfortably far into Keita's personal space. But Keita barely registered this action; he only saw shadowy figures race through his vision, Miyagi's plays coming to life in his memory and the potential outcomes that could result being his only concern.

He wouldn't have been surprised to know that Miyagi's brain was filled with those images too. After all, getting the win was what good point guards did.

* * *

_ii. __tenacious_

Ever since being eliminated from the Inter-Highs, Uchimura Takeshi had plenty of time to grasp what it meant to be a member of Kainan High. The grieving period associated with forever being remembered as "the team that had ended Kainan High's history of qualifications to the Nationals" had been surprisingly short. Takato-sensei was still hurt about it, sure—but Takato was always upset about something or other. Any remaining negative energy seemed to drive the players, rather than deter them. Winter Cup would be upon them before they knew it, so a chance at redemption wasn't far away.

Kiyota Nobunaga, Takeshi's new captain and resident Kainan nerd, was always there to remind the team about that. In fact, he had a number of things to remind the players while they trudged through practice.

One. Revenge was a must. In fact, that's what Kiyota yelled during most of the team's laps around the court to try and keep them motivated. Revenge was a must. If the team didn't get their act together for Winter Cup, Kiyota would personally shave all of their heads—after shaving off his own wild mane. Takeshi wasn't sure if he was supposed to be more motivated to win or to lose after that declaration.

Two. Ryonan would pay. Shohoku would pay. Rukawa would pay. All red-haired monkeys would pay. (Was there more than one?) Every team that so much as scored a basket against Kainan would pay for what they had done.

Three. Kainan was the best ever. Their players were the best ever. Kiyota was the best ever. Caveat: every single alumni of Kainan was the _best _best ever, and all of the current players had better keep that in mind when they thought their skills have improved.

At reminder #3, Takeshi would inevitably find a ball to heave at Kiyota to shut him up and the two would break out into a scuffle right in the middle of drills. Abe or Takato would be the first to separate them and the two players would stare murder at each other all throughout the rest of practice. That they always seemed to wind up on different teams during scrimmages didn't matter, not even when Takeshi caught Takato hiding a smile behind his paper fan when that happened for the fifth straight practice.

It didn't matter. Kiyota was the best at something, all right: bullshit.

Jin was the best shooter that Takeshi had ever seen. He would relent that one gladly. And Kiyota was probably one of the most athletic freaks that could still be called Japanese—Takeshi would let that one slide, too. But the love affair with alumni Maki, who sometimes came by and watched the practices from the sidelines, felt undeserved. Stupid. The former point guard was a sentimental relic, was what he was; still watching Kainan like a father watching his child stumble through walking for the very first time, hopeful… but ready to intervene at the first sign of trouble.

Jin, deep into prepping for his college entrance exams, would also still come by to see how the rest of the team was doing. The difference being that Jin's presence was welcome, largely because he was unnoticeable. Jin slunk into the shadows under the rafters and if it were not for Kiyota having some sort of Jin-radar, Takeshi probably wouldn't notice the senior's presence most of the time.

But Maki was different. He stood squarely next to Takato as if he still belonged, a statue of muscle and former stardom. Takeshi had no idea why the Shintai University point guard had so much spare time on his hands to hang around his alma mater and tell Takato every single mistake that Takeshi made during the scrimmages.

"Maki brought to my attention that you don't know what to do with the ball when you actually get under the basket," Takato had said during one particular after-practice scolding.

"I'm going to shoot," Takeshi had answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"But what if there's a shot-blocker there?"

"I'm going to shoot."

Maki and Takato had shared a knowing look that kind of pissed Takeshi off.

"Nobody is going to guard me one-on-one. Nobody." Takeshi had turned to join the other players in the lockers before Maki spoke up.

"Even if that was true, you're still the point guard. The right decision isn't always the one that gets you a basket."

No, but it's the only one that matters, Takeshi almost said. He didn't only because they were older, and instead he stared expectantly at them to finish their spiel.

The other two shared another discreet look, having seen something in Takeshi's mannerisms. Takeshi was now sure that he was pissed off.

"You're passing the ball a lot more. It's good to see that. But you need to take your playmaking game even further and know where the players are even when you're looking for your shot. That's what makes Maki such a great player." Takato stopped fanning himself and rose from the coach's chair.

"Uchimura. If you can realize even just that," Takato rested a hand on Takeshi's shoulder, "we stand a chance to win it all come the next Nationals."

Takeshi opened his mouth to say something before Maki interjected.

"You can't seem to make a pass when the other player isn't directly in your line of vision. When you're under pressure from the defense, you just try and shoot. You have to correct that."

Takeshi's mouth closed. When it opened again, Takato saw that the beginnings of acceptance that had crept into the young point guard's eyes were gone.

"May I go now, sensei?"

Takato's hand slipped away from Takeshi's shoulder.

"Yes. I see improvement, Uchimura."

Takeshi strode away.

"You can't keep handling him like a kid, sensei. That's what got him that way in the first place."

"But he _is_ a kid. He won't even listen to one of Japan's best point guards even though you come by so often. It's a shame that—"

_No. That's what you both don't understand,_ Takeshi thought as he strode into the hallway leading to the changing rooms.

The best point guard was going to be Uchimura Takeshi. And that would happen right after Miyagi Ryota retired.

Until then, he would be the only point guard Takeshi took advice from

* * *

"_Here's where you come in, Takeshi."_

_Takeshi was still digesting Miyagi's earlier strategy when he heard his name being called. Miyagi had moved just a bit closer to the Kainan point guard in the huddle, their shoulders now nearly touching._

"_There aren't many point guards that can guard you one-on-one. I've believed this the moment I played you. But it's not just your first step that makes you a tough assignment." Miyagi held an arm up, just enough to emphasize a difference in height._

"_You're a bit shorter than Keita but you can jump to the moon. I've never played against a point guard with as many physical tools as you have. So we're going to take advantage of it."_

"_Some plays for me, I hope." Takeshi couldn't hide an anticipatory grin._

"_Not plays, specifically. What I need you to do is to cover the rebounding for us. After we burn out the threes for our first few plays, they'll wise up and prevent us from getting easy shots from there. So from then on we have to make sure we keep possession off all our misses." _

_Miyagi gave Takeshi a friendly but firm pat on the back._

"_You have to get the offensive boards no matter what. No matter what. Matsumaru can't compete with you if the rebound war is fair. And if he tries to steal, I'll be there. Trust me on that one." _

* * *

Takeshi watched Miyagi check the ball again, feigning as much interest as possible. Matsumaru was marking Takeshi closely, so close that even Takeshi knew he couldn't free himself for a pass without some help—but he still had to pretend that the ball could come his way at any moment.

He had a job. And once he did it, he would get his chance. He could count on that, at least.

Miyagi skipped a bounce pass to Keita, one that was almost stolen with the aggressive defense Maki was playing on the Sannoh guard. But Keita was unflappable, and even Takeshi felt admiration for how sure the other player's movements were when Keita swung the ball through Maki's prying hands. There was a ringing slap of Maki hitting Keita's wrist, but neither seemed to notice the foul as Keita shot right for the basket.

Position. He had to get into position. Takeshi thoughtlessly gave Matsumaru a nudge to the ribs with a bent elbow, enough to divert the defender's attention away. Matsumaru turned away from Keita and Maki, only to realize too late that Takeshi was sprinting for the basket.

Keita was on the opposite side of the court and the two teammates were on a path that they would meet just under the basket. Takeshi would be at the goal before Keita, though. Not only was Keita slower, but he was constantly being pushed off-course by Maki, guided away from a straight line to the basket. Mastumaru was quick to catch up and Takeshi used his body to try and keep the Daiei guard behind him, using his butt to knock Matsumaru off balance. It wouldn't last, he knew—Matsumaru was more experienced, stronger. Only a matter of time until he stole away Takeshi's position.

It was impossible for Keita to know these things. But nevertheless, Keita's obvious charge for the basket was suddenly interrupted by a second of pause. Within that second Keita looked past Maki, through him, and met Takeshi's eyes. The analytical, wide-eyed glance was enough to convince Takeshi that Keita had somehow sensed the play was breaking down and was going to attempt a bounce pass.

It would have been a bad decision against Maki's defense. A horrible play, one contrary to what Keita would normally do. Yet Takeshi truly believed the pass would come. And just as Takeshi had believed, so did Maki.

When that second of indecision was over, Keita was off towards the basket again, now half a step ahead of Maki.

Before any of the other players could register the action, the Sannoh guard went into the air, twisting his body to avoid Maki's attempt to block. The running jumper he managed to bank in seemed equally dangerous to the bounce pass that never happened—but all that mattered was that it was successful.

A game within a game. This was what the top players were playing. Takeshi getting position didn't even matter; there was no rebounding opportunity. The younger point guard took a deep breath to still the thump in his heart, the beating in his chest not from exertion but fury.

_I'm not going to get the ball again,_ Takeshi glumly thought as he rested his hands on his knees. The inadequacy he had felt when Maki had dominated him earlier was heavy in his stomach, a lead weight. The reality was obvious: he didn't belong. How the others were instinctively aware of all the other things going on, able to take the gambles that wound up being more successful than not… he just couldn't process any of it.

Takeshi forced himself to at least feign interest in the next play. When he lifted his head to observe Miyagi at the top of the key, an unexpected sight greeted him:

Miyagi was giving Takeshi a discreet "okay" sign as he cradled the ball between his elbow and waist.

The motion lasted only a few seconds. Soon enough both of Miyagi's hands were on the ball again, holding it over his head to look for his passing target. He had not spared a single glance in Takeshi's direction the entire while; few of the others were likely to have seen, let alone understood, what the sign had meant.

As Takeshi had guessed, he didn't get the ball—the pass went right back to Keita. But the unhappiness didn't resurface. In fact, his concentration was returning bit by bit. He still had a job to do, one his teammates were depending on.

After delivering a forearm to Matsumaru's shoulder to create space, Takeshi maneuvered so that he could get position under the basket opposite of Keita's shot. Matsumaru tried to squeeze ahead of Takeshi but he wasn't able to get position before Keita had shot a pull-up jumper. Takeshi traced the descent of the ball and, with Matsumaru still at his back, leapt into the air and snagged the rebound with a sweep of his arm. He didn't even feel Matsumaru tugging on his shirt to try and keep him grounded.

"Great rebound!" Miyagi shouted as he moved into a better position, keeping Fujima as far from interrupting the action as possible. But the smile that had been ready to stretch across his face died when one, two seconds passed…

…and Takeshi was still holding onto the ball, having not moved after landing.

It was a common symptom of a young player—not knowing their next move once they accomplished a task. It was also one of the biggest mistakes a player could make, especially under the rim.

"Go back up!" Keita shouted, reacting to Takeshi's moment of hesitation. But it was too late; Matsumaru reached in and slapped the ball clean from Takeshi's hands. Maki and Matsumaru both converged towards the ball, Takeshi looking as if he was still trying to process what had happened.

But the ball took only a single bounce before a figure shot in front of the two seniors. Takeshi caught a glimpse of something that he would remember for a very long time:

Miyagi leaping forward, eyes alight with focus, mouth open and teeth bared like a predator after a particularly delicious prey.

This will to win was something that Takeshi had never seen, not even when Miyagi had played them during the qualifying matches. The Nationals had changed Miyagi, in so short a time. There was a single-minded, frightening purpose that seemed to guide Miyagi's movements, giving him the speed to reach the ball a second before Maki or Matsumaru could. Giving him a speed that had left Fujima in the dust, unable to even react to what had just happened.

Miyagi snatched the ball up and, carried by his own momentum, had to take one hard dribble and maneuver away from the opponents converging on him. But everything was in chaos, and the seniors' defense was now full of holes. Even with Miyagi's back completely to Takeshi, Takeshi's body moved on its own, guessing, sensing. The ball shot out over Miyagi's right shoulder and it was only after Takeshi caught the blind pass and went up for the layup that his mind caught back up to inform him of the miraculous play that the two had just made.

12-10. Miyagi's team was within striking distance.

Miyagi was already slapping hands with a displeased Keita, who was blatantly irritated at how that play had nearly been a disaster. Still, when Keita noticed that Takeshi was staring at the duo he gave the younger guard a curt nod. It was more than Takeshi had expected; he could only wordlessly return the nod and move back into position.

Keita had all the reason in the world to still be upset at Takeshi. Yet he wasn't.

_This is what it means to be a winner,_ Takeshi realized. Miyagi had done the exact same by relying on him: not just with rebounding, but even after almost losing the ball, to recover and get into a position to score. To trust your teammates to make the right play.

To believe in your decisions, your comrades. Even when you were all struck down, again and again.

The best point guard title seemed so much farther away than Takeshi had ever imagined. But when Takeshi looked at Miyagi at the top of the key, the ball back in his hands and a grin on his face like his team wasn't the one still losing, he couldn't help but feel lucky that he would get to learn from some of the greatest before their time was up.

* * *

_iii. __superfluous_

If asked which terms couldn't be associated with his friends, Matsumaru Daisuke wouldn't have to think too long about it. "Tsuchiya" and "lazy" or "Toshiya" and "normal" were easy ones to list off.

If pushed farther, Matsumaru would smirk and declare "Miyagi" and "dull." Those two didn't belong together. Never had.

And until recently, "Miyagi" and "leader."

Matsumaru still remembered the first time he met the other point guard during middle-school tryouts. Matsumaru had been wild then, stupidly confident of his chances to get a chance to play backup point guard in his first year. Maybe even steal the starting point guard position, if the seniors were bad enough. He believed that there wouldn't be anyone that had handled a basketball as much as he had, put his time into street ball like he did.

That was until Matsumaru saw one of the other players, just as short as him and maybe even wilder, add unnecessary between-the-legs dribbles during cone drills and throw dangerous behind-the-back passes like he wasn't in the middle of a tryout for the basketball team.

"He's good," some of the first-years whispered.

"Who is he?" still others wondered.

Matsumaru kept a prodding gaze locked on the player until the tryout circuit was over. When the other player looked towards Mastumaru, a cocky glint in his eye and earring flashing under the gym lights, there was little question as to what the unspoken challenge was.

Matsumaru didn't bat an eye. He picked up one of the loose balls, took a breath, and ran through the same drills—with all the same embellishments. The crossovers, the spins, and even some things entirely his own. By the time Mastumaru had completed his last dribble and joined the other player at the other side of the court, there was a small uproar from the remaining first-years that had yet to complete the tryout circuit.

The two of them had dazzled at the tryouts, for certain. They had impressed all the other first-years with their over-the-top play of flashy dribbles and unrealistic passes.

The coaches saw something entirely different and would select some quiet, boring, squinty-eyed kid for the backup point guard spot. Matsumaru would later found out that boring player's name was Yasuda Yasaharu.

In the meantime, the two diminutive players continued to size each other up, taking mental notes. As they said on the streets, game recognizes game. Short players like them had to have at least one great skill to survive in the basketball world, and they had both shown it.

"Where you play?" the other player asked abruptly. It was clear that the underlying question was the exact same one Matsumaru had wanted to ask: why haven't I seen you on any of the street courts before?

"Hiratsuka," Matsumaru answered.

"Ain't no games there," the other player dismissed. "Go to Kanagawa-ku next time and look for me. We'll run some real games."

"Oh yeah?"

Miyagi turned away, heading towards the next tryout station.

"Just ask for Ryota. They'll know."

And the next time Matsumaru went out to find a street game, he did just that.

In fact, the two met often outside of practice. It was because in their first year of middle school both players weren't given any opportunity for real-match experience, forced to learn to play with a bit more discipline before they would even get to see the court. So instead during official matches, the two watched from the bench while they quietly criticized Yasuda's boring, low-key basketball each time he played, the two believing that their flamboyant styles were what was "right" and Yasuda's unwavering execution of the coach's gameplan was "wrong." Believing that the poor performances of their scrimmage teams in practice wasn't because they played the game recklessly and threw unpredictable passes their teammates couldn't catch, but because the other players weren't on their level.

It wasn't until much later that Matsumaru learned that Yasuda's discipline, too, was a skill. Equally as important as unpredictability.

But until recently, Matsumaru believed that Miyagi had never learned that. Miyagi was always a different kind of player, the kind whose passion raged so brightly he could light a fire under his team or burn everyone out with his unrestrained temper. His heart was on his sleeve and his playstyle reflected it. Miyagi had enough skill to eventually squeeze into the starting point guard spot by his third year of middle school, but even then Matsumaru had never thought of Miyagi as a leader. He was just a fellow baller that played for the moment, preferring to dazzle rather than make the sensible basketball play. Neglecting the nuances in favor of pleasing the crowd and his ego.

Matsumaru and Miyagi had played hundreds of games together, on the streets and in the gym. They knew each other's playstyles, more or less. But now, in this game, as Mastumaru watched Miyagi set up a play to try and force a comeback for his team, the Daiei High guard could tell things were different. That something in Miyagi had changed, though when that change had occurred he couldn't guess at.

Did that change happen after Matsumaru had left Shohoku to join Daiei High, and he had heard from Yasuda that Miyagi had considered giving up basketball until a girl named Ayako entered into the picture? Was it when Miyagi had been part of a team that had become a legend of its own after taking down Sannoh? Was it when Miyagi rose to captain of Shohoku High and was left with monumental responsibilities and expectations anyone would find hard-pressed to meet?

Matsumaru didn't know. There were too many things that could change a player. Too many things, little things, transient things that would push a player from "good" to "elite." Little things that piled up and over, like a great ladder, that carried a player along a wall of unknown height until the top was finally reached and greatness on the other side could finally be seen.

All Matsumaru knew, as he watched Miyagi shoot past Fujima like a bullet, was that Miyagi played with a purpose he never used to have. Miyagi was always a good point guard, even when he acted like there was some invisible camera following him to catch whatever highlight play he could muster. But there had been no real thought behind his actions. Now each decision Miyagi made seemed just as deep as they were uncontrolled, like an unpolished gem that was beginning to take shape.

Miyagi shot up a floater, one that came just short and clanged off the front of the rim. But even as Matsumaru tried to get the miss, Takeshi shot forward with renewed vigor, still fueled by Miyagi's trust. Matsumaru had no chance in the face of the first-year's otherworldly athleticism. The rebound was Takeshi's.

Miyagi raced past the two, as if he had seen the miss coming, and snatched the ball from Takeshi's hands. Takeshi instinctively moved forward, setting a screen so that the trailing Fujima would have no chance to try and interrupt Miyagi's shot. But Mastumaru was still there and he quickly surged forward, knowing that he would have to be the one to guard Miyagi. Miyagi sensed Matsumaru's approach and instead of forcing a difficult layup, he raced back out to the top of the key and away from the basket.

Matsumaru stared down Miyagi, eyes narrowed. The miss and had caused a complete disarray in the defense. Now there were mismatches—holes for the offense to exploit. Miyagi's team was out of offensive position as well, but what would have been a very difficult defense to score against now seemed manageable: Miyagi knew exactly how to play against Matsumaru, and Takeshi was without a doubt quicker and stronger than Fujima. And Matsumaru couldn't tell if this had all happened by sheer dumb luck, or if Miyagi planned it all along.

Out of the corner of his eye, Matsumaru could see Keita sprinting for the basket, Maki a step behind him. Miyagi leaned back, preparing to shoot a pass forward. Matsumaru was quick to react and moved into the passing lane, denying the opportunity. He knew Miyagi's tendencies.

Miyagi passed anyway, firing a one-handed bullet pass that shot past Mastumaru like an orange missile. But it was Takeshi, fending off Fujima with one hand and catching the pass with the other, who was Miyagi's true target.

It was a mismatch, but the timing of the pass was reckless. Foolish. Takeshi was out of position and unable to use his first step, the only offensive tool that he had to challenge the caliber of players he was facing today.

Only if that was really the case. Because when Takeshi confidentially swung the ball back over to Keita with a deceptive bounce pass, the ball far too low for Maki to intercept, it was as if Matsumaru was watching a team that had been playing together for weeks rather than just a few minutes. And in the next instant, instead of trying to attempt a close-shot against the wide, muscular frame of Maki, Keita zipped back out to the three-point line and shot an off-balance three, never hesitating, his movements so swift and sure with cold-blooded courage that Matsumaru knew the shot was in before it even swished through the net.

12-12. And if Matsumaru didn't know better, he could see life in the opposing team's eyes.

"How reckless are you?" Takeshi shouted at Keita, childish excitement in his tone despite his words. Keita gave Takeshi a distracted shrug and stalked back off to a different position on the court, too preoccupied to notice Maki's smoldering glare.

Fujima motioned in the air, indicating he wanted Matsumaru to switch back to his original defensive assignment. Matsumaru straightened and began to walk away from Miyagi.

"It wasn't supposed to be a three. But I guess you wouldn't believe me if I said that."

Matsumaru turned to see Miyagi with a carefree grin on his face, one just like from their days of street-balling, when the two were so worn out they didn't think they could keep going but Miyagi had smiled just like that and they had run it back one more time anyway.

Matsumaru hadn't been wrong. Miyagi had created a mismatch on defense. And while the others might have thought that Miyagi would pass to Takeshi to take advantage of the mismatch, even out of position, Matsumaru knew better. He had played against Miyagi far too much. Miyagi would have been the type to make that mismatch, then _not_ use it and try and force the ball to Keita for the assist. He had always been fond of those little fake-outs.

But Miyagi had used the mismatch, defying Matsumaru's expectations. And used it for a completely different purpose than simply scoring, which could very well have been possible if Takeshi had a bit more space and was in a bit better position. Takeshi would learn to react to those things when he gained some experience.

Instead, Miyagi had showed Matsumaru an important and wholly new dimension to his skillset: the pass_ before _the assist.

Miyagi would not have been able to see that pass in middle-school. He would have wanted to be the one to force the issue and be responsible for getting the ball to the scorer, to get the crowd going or to get that one extra mark in the assist column of the stats sheet. Middle-school Miyagi would have tried to get the ball to Keita from across the court, even if it meant losing possession. A younger Matsumaru would have done the same thing.

But Miyagi had outgrown that. Instead he had used a play that was truly unselfish, invisible to all but the most discerning students of basketball.

Somewhere, along his journey to be a great point guard, Miyagi had added it to his arsenal of tricks.

Discipline. Unpredictability. You did need both, after all. It was only when Matsumaru erased one did he recognize the importance of the other, it seemed. Matsumaru had no discipline in middle-school. He lost all his unpredictability in high school. Only Shohoku beating Daiei High in the Nationals spurred Matsumaru into joining those two skills together, too late to matter.

Yet Miyagi somehow had figured it out, all on his own. And it didn't take a loss in the Nationals for him to achieve it.

_Or maybe it did,_ Matsumaru silently thought, thinking of Shohoku's poor record in the winter and their struggle to reach the Nationals again. What those disappointments could have done to shape Miyagi's development as a captain.

"There's a buncha things I didn't think I would believe," Matsumaru smiled in response to Miyagi, more seriously than he would have liked.

Matsumaru walked away to rejoin Takeshi in the post, not waiting to see Miyagi's reaction. Once there, Takeshi eyed Matsumaru warily, as if he had sensed that the third-year figured out more about the play than most opponents would have. Matsumaru dug his elbow into Takeshi's midsection so the other player wouldn't get too full of himself, then waited for Miyagi to set up his team's next offensive sequence.

And Matsumaru couldn't help but feel his lips curl into another smile.

It had taken years, but the words "Miyagi" and "leader" were finally starting to make some sense.

* * *

_iv. __a_uspicious

Fujima Kenji watched Miyagi start his dribble and could only think how lucky some people were.

The scores were tied at 12-12. Given the deficit that Miyagi's team had to fight back from, Fujima knew he should have felt at least some compassion. Awe. Respect. But unlike his teammates—with Matsumaru seeming to think that Fujima couldn't see his excited grin and Maki getting too caught up in trying to beat Keita in a personal one-on-one—Fujima had no attachment to this farce. This was gambler's basketball, the kind of basketball that irked his coaching side just enough to make him irritated.

Maki would have wanted to keep playing. Let Miyagi's team keep believing that they could ride this wave of luck to a win. And Matsumaru probably wanted to play against his former teammate, just a bit longer. Fujima was going to have none of it.

He studied Miyagi's movements closely, partly focused on the potential passes Miyagi could make, but moreso on what was likely brewing in Miyagi's mind. The next dangerous risk the Shohoku captain had planned. If Miyagi's team hadn't caught up in such a ridiculous manner, Fujima would be able to relent that this scrimmage had some meaning. But at this point, with Miyagi practically leaning on Keita's ability to remain impervious to pressure, Fujima felt the scrimmage was pointless. Keita could have had any two other teammates and probably fought back in the exact same manner.

Except deep down somewhere, the player side of Fujima, the one still moved by miraculous basketball, couldn't help but recognize the falsehood of that thought. Couldn't help but appreciate that somehow, someway, Miyagi had drawn together two younger players with seemingly incompatible skillsets and philosophies and brought them under his instruction. And even Fujima's coaching side could relent that if he had been placed in Miyagi's situation a few minutes ago when the scores were 12-4 against a vastly more experienced team, he would have taken risks as well.

Truthfully, it was the luck to pull it all off…that was irritating. It really was. And Fujima, one of the unluckiest players of his era, couldn't help but feel annoyed. And maybe... a bit jealous.

Being lucky was a trait of a winner. The secret factor that few understood, let alone believed. It was because there was no way to truly control which team a player ended up on, whether he would be born with talent, whether or not he would get injured, or who he would have to face during his era. No true way to quantify luck.

Yet all the same, Fujima would sometimes prop against his dorm bed and catch up on the news of Shintai University player Maki Shinichi, his greatest rival. And he would find out that Maki would still be winning, still be treated like royalty, and then Fujima would still think: "that guy was _lucky_ he never had to face Shoyo High at its full strength."

Fujima would never take back the time he had with Shoyo High. His teammates. His friends. The work he had put in and all he had learned. But he certainly would not have mind being given one more chance to do it all over again. Regret was Fujima's greatest legacy.

Miyagi skipped a bounce pass to Takeshi before bursting into a full sprint, spurring Fujima into action. Fujima followed Miyagi closely, his field of view still able to register that Keita had also begun cutting towards the basket.

Predictable. Takeshi would not shoot. Not with so much at stake. Not when Miyagi's team was close enough to finally take a lead.

And Miyagi would not shoot, either. Despite his bravado, his wild planning, Fujima had studied Miyagi's game enough to know that the Shohoku captain could only do one thing, and that was use his speed to get to the basket. Without the ball, he was a decoy.

The only question that remained was how Miyagi had planned for Keita to get the ball.

Miyagi abruptly slowed then broke away, backpedaling from the basket. Takeshi faked a bounce pass towards Keita, but with Matsumaru's defense, was unable to find a good passing angle. He was forced to take a few slow dribbles towards the basket, but it was clear Takeshi was not comfortable playing in the post against a defender as wily as Mastumaru. Keita recognized this and raced all the way around and behind Matsumaru, bringing Maki around for a potential double team but also giving Takeshi the option of giving the ball to Keita.

Takeshi didn't pass to Keita. And likewise, Maki didn't help double-team, just as Fujima had expected.

The younger players were arrogant show-offs. Too full of pride to admit defeat, too focused on making the dazzling play rather than the straightforward one. Fujima couldn't remember him and Maki behaving like this. (Hanagata standing on the sidelines would, however, attest that Fujima and Maki had acted quite like this during their early years.)

Fujima strayed, just far enough away from Miyagi, to prepare to double-team Takeshi. If Maki still wasn't going to end this game, then Fujima would have to take matters into his own hands.

Except Takeshi no longer had the ball.

And as Fujima turned, a second too late, and saw Miyagi now not only with the ball but going into the air to shoot a mid-range jumper—doing exactly what no one expected him to do—Fujima couldn't help but felt a grudging admiration, very close to what he had felt when he first played against Maki and saw the dark-skinned monster of a player charge headfirst into Shoyo's defense without fear.

Because in spite of everything, in spite of his weaknesses, Miyagi had taken responsibility as a leader. Do or die. He had stayed true to his words and held himself to the exact same standards.

Miyagi had decided to make his own luck.

Fujima traced the path of the ball after it left Miyagi's hands, and even with his trained eyes, he was unable to tell where the ball would wind up. But the answer came a moment later when the ball clanged off the side of the rim, and even with Takeshi fighting desperately against Matsumaru to try and get the rebound, Fujima's teammate had learned enough from their encounters to get a head start on the athletic rookie. Soon enough Matsumaru had seized possession of the ball and was dribbling back out to the three-point line.

If Miyagi was deflated from his miss, he didn't show it. Instead he shot forward to mark Fujima, not giving the older player even a second of breathing room. But it was all for naught, as Matsumaru knew exactly who to get to the ball to in order to extend their lead:

Maki, barreling down the lane like a wild bull, knocking Keita aside as if the other player wasn't even there.

Layup. 13-12. Seniors' lead again.

But the fight had not left any of their opponents' eyes. When Maki brushed past Keita, purposefully asserting his presence, the Sannoh guard didn't even so much as glance at him. Instead Keita shot a look over to Takeshi, then to Miyagi, and they all stared back with a similar threatening glare, as if warning each other that the next person to get scored on was going to get a severe punishment by the others. There wasn't even the slightest change in their demeanor, so supported by their desire to win.

Fujima saw this and both his coaching and playing side rose up again in his chest, heavy with nostalgia. How often he and Hanagata had shared those looks, even on the brink of defeat. How often they had pushed one another in practice, in games. How often they had depended on one another during those times, the same way Fujima's three opponents were doing now.

Fujima and Hangata had made their own luck too, back then. They had made the best of their situations.

Matsumaru checked the ball and play resumed. Miyagi placed a hand against Fujima's elbow, preventing Fujima from sprinting off without being able to latch onto him like a stubborn child. But Fujima wasn't interested in trying to cut for the basket. Instead he raised the same arm that Miyagi had his hand on and brushed the Shohoku guard off with a discreet shove before backpedaling, holding one hand high.

The pass was true. Fujima turned to see Miyagi sprinting forward, racing against time.

Maki was Fujima's greatest rival. But for a second, even as Fujima lifted into the air, he caught a glimpse of Miyagi's focused, determined gaze and saw just a bit of himself in there. He must have looked like that to Maki when they had first met, so full of resolve, facing down a great threat and not budging.

This time, Fujima felt no irritation. No jealousy.

What Fujima felt was recognition for Miyagi, after so much time. After so many things had happened. After thinking to himself that the new generation was too eager to lose, when Miyagi challenged him to leave the bench in their first and only official match. After never admitting that Miyagi was worthy of facing Maki or Kainan when Shohoku had beaten Shoyo, impossibly. After never believing that there would be another point guard to fill the void that he and Maki had left.

Recognition. Recognition for this small point guard, with far too many weaknesses but more than enough courage.

_Of course you had known what I was going to do, _Fujima thought as Miyagi leapt forward to disrupt the shot, too late._ Because you would made the same decision._

Fujima released the ball, and Miyagi's luck ran out.

* * *

_v. sagacious_

The game was over, but Maki Shinichi felt that there was so much more left to do.

He had felt similarly during each phase of his basketball career. Conquering middle-school. Nearly conquering high-school. And now, on his quest to conquer university basketball. Each and every time, he had thought of how much basketball there was left to be played, and how many more players he had yet to defeat, and felt excited.

Maki headed straight for Miyagi after Fujima's three had fallen through the basket, and hoped that the Shohoku captain felt the same way he did.

Losses and sacrifices were what made players better. Despite Kainan's history of winning, Maki knew what it was that pushed players to stardom. After all, Jin, one of his most respected colleagues, had sacrificed his entire playstyle to fill a specific niche in Kainan's offensive scheme. Fujima, one of his most respected rivals, had endured hardship after another during his high school basketball career. And Akagi Takenori, a giant buried in loss after loss, had dragged Shohoku into relevancy.

Based off what he had seen today, Maki believed that Miyagi was finally capable of doing the same.

Miyagi had been right to let Keita get the important shots. The shots that would have made lesser players shiver from the pressure, their arm quake one centimeter and miss the basket. Takeshi was only given the shots that would influence a player's confidence; Keita had been given the shots that would have influenced the tide, and therefore the outcome, of the game.

And assigning Takeshi for rebounding. It must have been from playing alongside Sakuragi for so long; Miyagi had known there had to be a player to do the dirty work. Had known that he had to find a way for a player as vain as Takeshi to contribute and feel needed. Being under Anzai's tutelage had changed Miyagi, for the better. He was absorbing the wise coach's ways, even if he didn't know it. Learning ways to manage a team and to squeeze every bit of potential he could from all his players.

And it was wisdom that would determine Miyagi's legacy on Shohoku. That would determine just how great of a point guard he could be. Miyagi had always been quick-witted, possessing all the senses necessary to be a great point guard. The next step was to gain the wisdom to be a winner.

Maki approached Miyagi and held his left hand out, to make sure he did not aggravate Miyagi's injured right finger any further.

Miyagi had lost today, in what was ultimately an insignificant scrimmage. But Maki had lost in games where he had left every ounce of his being on the floor. Lost in games decided by a single basket. Lost in games that would have made him and his team champions.

No one won all the time. And that was what made the next game so much more exciting.

There was nothing for Miyagi to be ashamed of. There was still so much more left for him to do, and if he had learned just that much and was still excited by that prospect, Maki could believe the number one point guard of Kanagawa may still prove to be the number one point guard of Japan.

* * *

_vi. victorious_

Miyagi Ryota shook Maki's worn hands and could only think this loss had taught him more about himself than a win ever could have.


End file.
